New Delhi: Delhi holds its breath today as counting votes for the 2025 Assembly elections begins, promising a nail-biting finish between the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the tough challenger Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The results will determine whether Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP secures a fourth consecutive term or if the BJP can reclaim Delhi after nearly three decades.
The counting process, which commenced at 8 AM across all 70 constituencies, will unveil the national capital’s political future.
The AAP has enjoyed unparalleled dominance in Delhi’s political arena since 2015. The party’s landslide victory in 2015, securing 67 out of 70 seats, relegated the BJP to a mere three and left the Congress without a single seat in the Delhi assembly. The 2020 elections witnessed a similar pattern, with AAP winning 62 seats, BJP improving its tally to 8, and Congress once again failing to win any seats.
This year’s election features prominent face-offs across key constituencies. In New Delhi, AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal battles BJP’s Parvesh Sahib Singh and Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit; in Kalkaji, AAP’s Atishi clashes with BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress’ Alka Lamba. Other notable contests include Somnath Bharti (AAP) versus Satish Upadhyay (BJP) and Jitendra Kumar Kochar (Congress) in Malviya Nagar, and Awadh Ojha (AAP) versus Ravinder Singh Negi (BJP) and Anil Chaudhary (Congress) in the previously AAP stronghold of Patparganj, previously held by Manish Sisodia.
The high stakes of this election are evident. A BJP victory would mark a significant political upset, ending AAP’s prolonged reign. Meanwhile, an AAP win would solidify Kejriwal’s position as a dominant force in Indian politics, reinforcing his party’s influence on the national stage. The results will not only determine the governance of Delhi but will also have significant repercussions for the national political scene, influencing strategies and narratives ahead of future elections.
Exit polls have painted a contrasting picture, with many predicting a BJP victory. These polls suggest a significant shift in Delhi’s political landscape, forecasting at least 45 to 55 seats for the BJP and considerable losses for the ruling AAP. The Congress, aiming to regain relevance after a disappointing performance in the last two elections, is predicted to win only one seat.
