Delhi to go to the polls on February 5, votes to be counted on February 8

The elections will be held in a single phase on February 5, while the counting of votes will take place on February 8. The last date of filing nominations is January 17. The date for scrutiny of nominations is January 18. While last date for withdrawal of candidature is January 20.

With the announcement of the election dates, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force in the national capital and will remain in force till the completion of the election process.

The final voter list published on January 6, 2025 for the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections recorded a total of 1,55,24,858 registered voters in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, showing a net increase of 1.09 per cent.

As the elections approach, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its campaign. The BJP candidates have targeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his alleged involvement in the Delhi Excise Policy case and expressed confidence in forming the next government with a "double engine" administration.

The BJP has accused the AAP leaders of corruption and misgovernance while the AAP, which is aiming to come to power for the third consecutive time, is focusing on highlighting its achievements in the education and health sector.

In the race for the New Delhi seat, the BJP has fielded Parvesh Verma, former MP and son of former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma, to challenge Arvind Kejriwal. The Congress has also entered the fray with Sandeep Dixit, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit, from the same seat.

The BJP has fielded former MP Ramesh Bidhuri against Delhi CM Atishi in the Kalkaji seat while the Congress has fielded former MLA Alka Lamba.

The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. In contrast, the AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats while the BJP got only eight seats. (ANI)