The Delhi Assembly election 2025 has been a big change for the Union Territory. After a decade, Delhi has elected a party that is in power at the Centre as well. This was also an election that brought the BJP back to power after 27 years. And now with the BJP returning to the Union Territory of Delhi, it becomes important to know whether Delhi will finally be granted full statehood.


What Is The BJP's Stance On Full Statehood For Delhi?


The BJP, until 2014, had been demanding full statehood for Delhi. Even in its manifestos, the BJP mentioned the issue. However, the manifestoes of the BJP published after it came to power at the Centre, including the one released before the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, gave the issue a miss. 


For decades, the Delhi statehood demand has bounced around like a political ping-pong ball, with parties switching stances faster than you can say "election manifesto".


The demand for full statehood to Delhi dates back to 1966, with the Jana Sangh, BJP's predecessor, pushing in this direction. This demand eventually led to the formation of the Delhi Metropolitan Council (DMC), an advisory body that, while not quite statehood, was a step in that direction.


Fast forward to the late 90s, and the BJP was all in heart and soul. In 1998, BJP's current New Delhi MLA Parvesh Verma's father Sahib Singh Verma, then chief minister, even drafted a bill for full statehood. The State of Delhi Bill, 2003, was presented in the Lok Sabha by the erstwhile Deputy PM Lal Krishna Advani. However, the BJP's loss in the 2003 Delhi assembly election effectively shelved the issue.


Then Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit called the proposal by Advani a political stunt. She clarified that the Congress wanted full statehood for Delhi but was opposed to the Bill in its existing form and rendered the intent of statehood ineffective as it gave sweeping powers to the President and the Governor.


The BJP, once out of power in Delhi, and in Opposition at the Centre, kept demanding statehood for the Union Territory.


In fact, reacting to the Congress's stance on the demand, Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan said in 2006: "Now when there is the rule of Congress in Delhi and at Centre what is the difficulty with the Congress in providing full statehood to Delhi."


Delhi Under AAP


Enter the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been championing the cause since 2013. Arvind Kejriwal publicly appealed to the people to elect AAP candidates if they wanted full statehood for Delhi. In 2018, the AAP launched a "Full Statehood For Delhi" campaign.


The Delhi assembly led by Kejriwal in 2018 even adopted a resolution demanding that the Union Home Ministry declare Delhi a "full-fledged" state without delay. However, this was when the BJP rejected the demand outright. Erstwhile Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said there was no need for statehood for Delhi for issues that impacted the citizens directly.


In May 2024, Kejriwal on behalf of the "united" Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A, said Delhi would get full statehood if the BJP-led NDA was removed from power in the Centre.


A 2016 notice on the Delhi government's website reads: "All the political parties i.e. Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and others, who have contested assembly elections in Delhi during the last 22 years, have aspired and promised through their successive election manifestoes that they are fully committed towards full statehood for Delhi."


Advantages Of Statehood To Delhi


Batting for statehood, AAP insisted it could give the Delhi government control over its police force and administrative machinery, enabling it to address local issues more effectively. It would also prevent the multiplicity of authorities and the resultant confusion, an aspect highlighted by the BJP earlier in its manifesto.


Another positive impact argued in favour of statehood has been "accountability". The people would be clear when voting for national, state, and civic issues in the respective elections. The Delhi Police, the Delhi Development Authority, and the Municipal Corporations of Delhi will become fully accountable to the people of Delhi.


Every Party Promises Statehood To Delhi, But Says 'No' When In Power


Both the BJP and the Congress have been in power in Delhi as well as the Centre. While the Congress has ruled Delhi and the Centre [as part of the UPA] simultaneously, BJP was in power at the Centre when the AAP won elections in Delhi. Although all three parties say they want statehood for Delhi, neither BJP nor Congress has actually worked towards it.


So why are they opposed to statehood?


Several factors contribute to the reluctance in granting full statehood to Delhi.


Delhi's unique status as the national capital, hosting important institutions and foreign embassies, requires close coordination with the central forces, government, and the police. This free flow of information exchange may get disrupted if the state police are brought under a Delhi Home Department.


Another argument is posted by regional parties who say that Delhi, being the national capital, should belong to every citizen of the country and must extend various benefits to all. Granting full statehood may bring up slogans such as, "son of the soil", a glimpse of which we saw in the recent assembly elections as parties scrambled for Purvanchali voters and the AAP banked on the 'Dilli ka beta' emotion.


Another reason why the party at the Centre doesn't want statehood for Delhi is the sharing of authority. The idea of sharing authority with the state government, which may potentially intrude upon their privileges and become a nuisance, has caused ruling parties to ignore the statehood demand.


This is the first time that decisive BJP governments are in power in Delhi as well as the Centre (with 240 MPs). The party, which had attacked the Congress for not granting full statehood to Delhi, will now be keenly watched by Delhiites. Will the BJP now grant Delhi its statehood? Or will it just bury the demand?