Delhi Assembly polls: Campaign ends; stage set for Feb 5 voting

NEW DELHI: Curtains came down on Monday evening on the high-octane, high-decibel and star-studded campaigning for the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections. Over the last few days, star campaigners from the three major parties pulled out all stops for votes—holding roadshows, rallies and padayatras in their bid to woo the voters.
While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, remains confident of securing a third consecutive term, highlighting its governance record and welfare schemes, the main challenger, BJP unleashed a campaign blitzkrieg as its senior leaders, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and party president J P Nadda, addressed public rallies in different parts of the Capital.
On the last day of campaigning on Monday, Kejriwal, along with Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, addressed three rallies, including one in Kalkaji, to mobilise supporters.
The BJP, aiming to reclaim power in Delhi after more than 25 years, held 22 roadshows and rallies across the city. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other leaders, including several BJP chief ministers, were at the forefront of the canvassing on Monday.
The Congress, seeking a revival after failing to win any seats in the last two elections, also intensified its efforts. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi held separate roadshows in Kalkaji and Kasturba Nagar, aiming to regain the party’s lost foothold in the capital.
According to the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), 1.56 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots at 13,766 polling stations across all 70 constituencies. Among them, 83.76 lakh are men, 72.36 lakh are women, and 1,267 are third-gender voters.
To ensure accessibility, 733 polling stations have been designated for persons with disabilities. The Election Commission has also introduced the Queue Management System (QMS) app, allowing voters to monitor crowd levels in real-time at polling stations.
In a significant move, 6,980 out of 7,553 eligible voters under the home voting facility for senior citizens and persons with disabilities have already cast their ballots. This service, which began on January 24, will continue until February 4.
The election battle has seen sharp political exchanges, with AI-generated spoofs, catchy slogans, and roadshows dominating the discourse.
AAP’s stronghold within Delhi is evident by the fact that the recently emerged party out of anti-corruption drive has been in power since 2015 with a historic victory where it won 67 out of 70 seats. In the 2020 elections, AAP was again successful and secured 62 seats, while the BJP only won 8, and Congress remained blank.
For the last ten years, AAP has built its electoral appeal on the promise of free electricity, water subsidies, quality education, and healthcare reforms. Its governance model has been centred on initiatives like Mohalla Clinics and improvements in government schools. AAP has faced many challenges: alleged corruption among its leaders and their top leadership being jailed, constant confrontations with the Lt-Governor, lieutenant governor, and controversies over air and water pollution in the capital.
For the BJP, the February 5 polls are a do or die battle as the party has remained out of power since 1998. It continues to be dominant in the national polls but failed to make a mark in Delhi Assembly polls. Both in 2019 and 2024, the BJP had swept the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi but could not cash in on it at the Assembly elections. This time, BJP appears to rely more on the leadership of PM Modi, better governance, and strong law and order to dent AAP’s strength.
The Congress, which once ruled Delhi for 15 consecutive years under Sheila Dikshit (1998-2013), has been on a steady decline, failing to win a single seat in the past two elections. With its voter base shifting towards AAP, Congress has been struggling to reclaim its space in Delhi politics. The electoral fight has gained traction as the race enters its climax.
To maintain order, the Delhi Police has registered over 1,000 cases of alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) since its enforcement on January 7. In preparation for the elections, the Election Commission has deployed 220 companies of paramilitary forces, 19,000 home guards, and 35,626 Delhi Police personnel.
Additionally, over 21,500 ballot units and VVPATs have been prepared, ensuring accessibility, including provisions for dummy and Braille ballot papers.
The outcome of this fiercely contested election will determine whether the AAP continues its dominance, the BJP breaks its losing streak, or Congress makes a surprising comeback.
The final verdict will become clear on February 8, as Delhi awaits the results of what has been one of its most high-stakes electoral battles.