Vikram
The Delhi Assembly Election 2025, held on February 5, 2025, saw a voter turnout of 60.54% [4, 5]. The results, announced on February 8, 2025, indicated a significant shift in the political landscape of the National Capital Territory. This election was a high-stakes battle between the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Indian National Congress (INC).
Key Players and Promises
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, aimed for a fourth consecutive term, focusing its campaign on public welfare through 15 key guarantees. These guarantees included financial assistance of Rs 2,100 for women, a 24/7 water supply, and specialized medical care for the elderly. AAP also promised to halve metro ticket prices for students while maintaining existing benefits such as free schooling, medical services, bus travel for women, water supply, and power.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), after being out of power in Delhi for 27 years, sought to regain control with a manifesto centered on infrastructure development and social welfare. Key promises included restoring the Yamuna river within three years and granting complete ownership rights to residents of 1,700 unauthorized colonies. The BJP also proposed life insurance coverage of Rs 10 lakh for gig economy workers, legal professionals, and laborers, along with the ‘Mahila Samriddhi Yojana’ offering Rs 2,500 monthly support to underprivileged women, subsidized LPG cylinders at Rs 500, and free cylinders during Holi and Diwali.
The Indian National Congress (INC) aimed to regain its relevance in Delhi politics, where it had previously ruled for 15 years but failed to win any seats in the last two assembly elections [6, 4].
Election Dynamics
The election was fiercely contested, with 699 candidates vying for 70 Assembly constituencies [1, 7]. A report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) revealed that 118 candidates had criminal records, including 71 with serious charges related to corruption and violence. The ADR also highlighted the correlation between wealth and electoral politics, noting that 71% of these candidates were crorepatis.
Key Battles and Constituencies
Several constituencies were closely watched, including New Delhi, Kalkaji, Jangpura, Patparganj and Malviya Nagar. In the New Delhi constituency, Arvind Kejriwal faced BJP’s Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit [6, 10].In Gandhi Nagar, AAP’s Naveen Chaudhary led against BJP’s Arvinder Singh Lovely and INC’s Kamal Arora.
Results and Analysis
Exit polls largely predicted a BJP victory, potentially ending AAP’s dominance [4, 5]. However, AAP alleged that the Election Commission was not releasing booth-wise data, raising concerns ahead of the counting process.
As counting began on February 8, early trends indicated a close contest [2, 4]. The BJP surged ahead, leading in over 40 of Delhi’s 70 seats [3, 4, 5]. According to early trends, the BJP crossed the halfway mark [4, 2].
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which won 62 out of 70 seats in the 2020 election, faced a significant challenge in retaining its stronghold. The Congress, which had failed to secure any seats in the previous two elections, aimed to improve its performance [4, 5].
Conclusion
The Delhi Assembly Election 2025 was a crucial event that reflected the changing political dynamics in the capital city. With key contenders battling for power and promises of welfare and development on the table. The election results have set the stage for a new chapter in Delhi’s governance. The BJP’s surge and potential comeback mark a significant shift, while the AAP faces the challenge of maintaining its relevance. The coming months will be critical in observing how the new government addresses the pressing issues and fulfills its promises to the people of Delhi.
Sumit Choudhary
