The 2025 Delhi Assembly Elections are heating up as the main political parties—the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Congress—get ready for a big fight. With voting expected in February, these parties are already making headlines with their plans, candidate lists, and campaign promises.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar will announce the election schedule today at 2 PM. A new assembly must be elected by February 23, when the current assembly’s term ends. Normally, Delhi’s elections happen in one go, and this time is expected to be no different.
AAP’s Strong Show and Tough Challenges
The AAP has been in charge of Delhi since 2015, winning the last two elections by a lot. In 2020, they took 62 out of 70 seats, leaving the BJP with only 8 seats and Congress without any. However, this time, AAP is facing some tough challenges, including complaints about wrongdoing and a chance for Congress to make a comeback.
In the past, AAP has done well by connecting with people through helpful programs like free electricity, water, and education. Now, they plan to fight back against negative feelings by continuing these programs while also answering the concerns raised against them.
Candidate Announcements: Setting the Stage
On November 21, 2024, AAP revealed its first list of 11 candidates for important places. Some notable names are:
– Anil Jha (Kirari)
– Brahm Singh Tanwar (Chhatarpur)
– Sarita Singh (Rohtas Nagar)
– Sumesh Shokeen (Matiala)
AAP focused on bringing in candidates who are well-known and liked by the people. They even dropped some current MLAs and selected new faces, including some who switched from BJP and Congress.
Meanwhile, on January 4, 2025, the BJP announced its first list of 29 candidates. Important names include:
– Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma (New Delhi)
– Ramesh Bidhuri (Kalkaji)
– Satish Upadhyay (Malviya Nagar)
– Kailash Gahlot (Bijwasan)
BJP is looking to excite voters by bringing in younger leaders for their campaign. The big contest to watch will be between Parvesh Verma and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi.
Campaign Promises: Welfare vs. Development
AAP announced new help programs, including the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojna, which offers ₹1,000 each month to women aged 18 to 60. They promise to raise this to ₹2,100 after the elections. They also promise life insurance of ₹10 lakh and accident insurance of ₹5 lakh for auto drivers, who were key to their earlier wins.
On the other hand, the BJP is focusing on improvements in leadership and infrastructure. Leaders like Baijayant Panda and Virendra Sachdeva are working to show that the BJP can be a strong choice against AAP.
Kejriwal has also raised concerns about issues with the voter list, claiming changes that could affect the results. The BJP has denied these claims, calling them false and an effort to mislead voters.
Delhi has seen a surge in voter interest lately, with 800,000 new voters added in the past year. Over 500,000 voter applications are still being processed. The total number of registered voters in Delhi has now increased to 15.5 million.
Congress Aims for a Comeback
Congress is working hard to win back its old supporters, especially among Dalits, Muslims, and people from unauthorised colonies. If Congress does well, it could take away votes from AAP, making the election interesting.
For AAP, keeping at least 50 seats is vital to address allegations of corruption and maintain its reputation. The BJP is seeing this election as a chance to gain ground in Delhi, while Congress aims to come back strong.
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