New Delhi: The Election Commission on Tuesday announced the schedule for the 70-member Delhi assembly elections. Voting will be conducted in a single phase on February 5, while the counting of votes will take place on February 8. The term of the current assembly ends on February 15.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is aiming for a fourth consecutive term in office. The party secured 62 seats in the 2020 assembly elections, five fewer than its 2015 tally of 67. AAP first formed a government in Delhi in 2013 with Congress’s support, but it lasted only 49 days. However, the party has struggled to replicate its assembly election dominance in Lok Sabha polls and is yet to win a single parliamentary seat from the national capital.
Triangular contest on cards
For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the election comes at a time when the party is riding high on victories in the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections. However, the BJP has not held power in Delhi for several years. Despite winning all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, it has been unable to achieve similar success in assembly elections. The party won eight seats in the 2020 elections, compared to just three in 2015.
For the Congress, this election holds critical importance after its recent setbacks in Haryana and Maharashtra. The party failed to win any seats in the last two Delhi Assembly elections, underscoring the uphill battle it faces in the capital.
Kejriwal, Atishi face tough contest
AAP has announced candidates for all 70 constituencies, while the BJP has declared nominees for 29 seats so far. Congress has also named candidates for several key constituencies.
Arvind Kejriwal and chief minister Atishi, the sitting MLA from Kalkaji, are expected to face tough challenges in the upcoming elections. Atishi is set to contest against BJP’s former MP Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress’s Alka Lamba.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal will face formidable opponents in BJP’s Parvesh Verma and Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit. Both are former MPs and sons of former Delhi chief ministers, adding a high-profile dimension to the contest.
