The intense campaigning for the February 5 Delhi assembly election ended on Monday evening, with leaders from the major parties holding roadshows, public meetings, padayatras, and bike rallies to sway voters.
Following the conclusion of canvassing, the mandatory silence period began, lasting until voting starts at 7am on Wednesday. Since the poll schedule was announced on January 7, political figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal, and Congress’s Rahul Gandhi spearheaded the campaigns in the capital.
The political battle intensified, with the BJP accusing Kejriwal of corruption, while AAP showcased its achievements in education and healthcare.
Both AAP and BJP focused on appealing to Purvanchali voters, a significant voting bloc in Delhi, with promises of grand Chhath puja celebrations and Bhojpuri campaign songs.
During the campaign, Kejriwal accused the BJP, Election Commission, and Delhi Police of colluding to undermine AAP’s efforts, while both parties accused each other of manipulating votes.
Delhi election 2025 date
The Delhi assembly election will take place on February 5, 2025, in a single phase, with results scheduled for counting on February 8, 2025.
With 699 candidates competing across 70 constituencies, these elections are being viewed as a referendum on the AAP’s governance and the future of the BJP and Congress in Delhi over the next five years.
The term of the 70-member Delhi assembly ends on February 23, and the Aam Aadmi Party, led by Arvind kejriwalis aiming for a third consecutive term. The BJP, however, is intensifying efforts to reclaim power.
The Congress is also in the race, contesting independently while targeting both the BJP and AAP, with whom it had allied during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
As per the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), 1.56 crore voters are eligible to vote at 13,766 polling stations. This includes 83.76 lakh men, 72.36 lakh women, and 1,267 third-gender voters.
To ensure accessibility, 733 polling stations have been set up for persons with disabilities. The Election Commission has also launched the Queue Management System (QMS) app, which allows voters to check real-time crowd levels at polling stations.
Key candidates
Former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is once again contesting from the New Delhi seat, where he faces BJP’s Parvesh Verma and Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit.
Delhi chief minister LabelAn aap candidate, is up against Congress leader Alka Lamba and BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri in the Kalkaji Constituency.
Aap’s Manish Sisodia is Running for the Jangpura Seat, Competing Against BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah and Congress’s Farhad Suri. Senior Aap Leader Satyender Jain is Contesting in Shakur Basti Against BJP’s Karnail Singh.
This year, the AAP has fielded Awadh Ojha, a teacher-turned-politician, against BJP’s Ravinder Singh Negi and Congress’s Anil Chaudhary.
In the Malviya Nagar Constituency, Aap’s Somnath Bharti Will Once Again Contest The Seat, Facing BJP’s Satish Upadhyay and Congress’s Jitndra Kumar Kokhar.
Delhi election 2025 political campaigns
The 27-day intense campaigning for the February 5 Delhi assembly election witnessed a fierce clash between the AAP, BJP, and Congress, with debates centered around issues like “Sheesh Mahal vs Rajmahal”, “poisonous Yamuna”, “Bin Dulhe Ki Barat”, freebies, and personal attacks. The BJP and Congress targeted Kejriwal using Sheesh Mahal and the “liquor scam”.
The AAP retaliated, accusing the BJP of law and order issues under Union minister Amit Shah, while also mocking the expense of Modi’s residence, referring to it as the “Raj Mahal”.
In his rallies, Modi advocated for the removal of the AAP from power, calling it “AAP-da” (disaster) for the city.
The AAP fired back, labelling the BJP as the “Gali Galauj Party” due to the alleged “abusive language” of BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri.
Kejriwal stirred controversy by claiming that the BJP government in Haryana “mixed poison” in the Yamuna water flowing to Delhi, accusing them of attempting “genocide” in the city and hatching a “conspiracy” to create a water crisis.
Freebies
In the election manifestos, all three parties focused on offering freebies, with each vowing monthly grants between ₹2,100-2,500 for women, free healthcare for the elderly, and free electricity units.
AAP and BJP competed vigorously to attract voters, with AAP promising monthly payments to temple priests and gurdwara granthis, free bus rides, and schemes for youth, students, and auto-taxi drivers.
Congress and BJP both pledged to provide cooking gas cylinders at ₹500. The BJP also promised ₹21,000 for expecting mothers, while Congress offered ₹8,500 per month to unemployed youth.
Security beefed up for February 5 poll
Over 30,000 police personnel and 220 paramilitary companies have been stationed across Delhi for the February 5 assembly election, according to an official report on Monday.
At a press conference, Special Commissioners of Police (Law and Order) Madhup Tewari (Zone-II) and Ravindra Yadav (Zone-I) discussed the election security arrangements.
“All Delhi Police personnel are committed to ensuring free, fair, and peaceful elections. The pre-poll arrangements have already been made,” said Special CP Ravindra Yadav.
Yadav highlighted the record seizures of drugs, liquor, and cash, noting that nearly 3,000 polling booths have been marked as sensitive. Special security measures, including drone surveillance, are in place for these booths.
“For sensitive booths, additional police forces will be deployed, and Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) will be stationed to maintain law and order,” Yadav added.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)
