Delhi will go to polls in a single phase on February 5 (Wednesday), with a fierce triangular contest between the AAP, BJP, and the Congress setting the political temperatures soaring in the cold wave-gripped national capital. The results will be announced on February 8 (Saturday). By-elections in Milkipur in Uttar Pradesh and Erode (East) in Tamil Nadu will also be held on the same day.
Model Code of Conduct Comes Into Effect
With the Election Commission’s announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force. The ruling AAP, battling a wave of corruption allegations, will be eyeing a hat-trick. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party swept the 2015 and 2020 elections with 67 and 62 seats, respectively.
2025 Delhi elections dates (Source: ECI)
The BJP, reduced to just single digits in the last two elections, will be hoping to return to the helm in the national capital after a hiatus of 26 years. The Congress, which once ruled Delhi for 15 years, will be contesting the polls alone after having stitched an alliance with the AAP for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
AAP: Fighting Anti-Incumbency and Allegations
This election, the first of 2025, is being seen as a prestige battle for all three parties. Last year, Kejriwal resigned as Chief Minister after his bail in the liquor policy case, asserting that he would return at the helm once the people of Delhi repose their trust in him. This time, the party is banking on a host of welfare schemes targeting women and the elderly to beat anti-incumbency and its rivals.
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To counter BJP’s “Chunavi Hindu” charge, AAP has also adopted elements of “soft Hindutva” by promising Rs 18,000 monthly compensation to temple priests and gurdwara granthis.
BJP: Corruption Allegations as Campaign Fodder
The BJP, buoyed by its clean sweep in the Delhi Lok Sabha polls and recent victories in Haryana and Maharashtra, has launched an aggressive campaign against the ruling AAP. The party has coined the term ‘AAPda’ (disaster) to target the Kejriwal government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally last week, said, “Aapda ko hatana hai, BJP ko laana hai (must eliminate the threat by voting BJP to power).”
The BJP has also focused on allegations of extravagance, such as the “Sheeshmahal” renovation of the Chief Minister’s bungalow. These accusations, coupled with arrests of key AAP leaders—Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, and former Delhi minister Satyendra Jain—have given the BJP considerable leverage.
Congress: Yet to Make a Mark
While both AAP and BJP have intensified their campaigns, Congress has been slow to mobilize. However, its Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar recently announced the ‘Pyari Didi Yojana,’ promising Rs 2,500 per month to eligible women beneficiaries in Delhi. This is seen as a counter to AAP’s Mahila Samaan Yojna, which promises Rs 2,100 per month.
Despite the chill in the Delhi air, the election campaigning is heating up, with the AAP, BJP, and Congress locked in a high-stakes battle. The outcome of this election will determine whether AAP retains its dominance or if a political shift awaits the national capital.
