Category: Politics

After losing a lot of elections, the Congress party is looking to make a strong return in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. In the past, Congress did really well in Delhi, ruling for 15 years. But since 2013, its power has faded. In the last two elections, 2015 and 2020, Congress didn’t win any seats!

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took the lead in 2013 and has been strong in the city ever since. Now, Congress hopes to attract voters who may be unhappy with AAP’s leadership. “People are not satisfied with how AAP is running things. We believe we can gain support,” said Devender Yadav, the president of the Delhi Congress.

To reconnect with voters, Congress has started the “guarantees campaign,” which includes plans for financial support and welfare programs. One of their first promises is the “Pyaari Didi Yojana,” which will give eligible women in Delhi Rs 2,500 every month. Dipika Singh Pandey, a Congress leader, explained how important it is to help women financially.

Congress is also focusing on important issues like pollution in the Yamuna River, problems with pension payments, and cleanliness in the city. Yadav pointed out that even after AAP won city elections in 2022, many problems remain unsolved. “We have a history of keeping our promises,” he said.

To strengthen its team, Congress is choosing experienced leaders for the 70-member assembly, including Yadav, Abhishek Dutt, Alka Lamba, and Anil Kumar. Some significant Congress members have left for other parties, but they’ve also welcomed former AAP members, including Haji Mohammad Ishraq and Rajendra Pal Gautam.

As Congress aims to regain support from Dalit and minority communities, the party’s future in Delhi remains unclear. Will they have enough support to compete again, or will they just split the votes and help the BJP win? The upcoming elections will be vital for Congress to see if they can improve or stay out of power in Delhi.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a leader from Congress, spoke out on Wednesday about some silly comments made by former BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri. He had jokingly referred to her cheeks and said he would make the roads in Kalkaji as smooth as her cheeks if he got elected. Priyanka found his remark really foolish and emphasized that there are much more important topics to talk about during the Delhi assembly elections, not silly comments. She didn’t hesitate to make a dig at him by saying he didn’t mention his own cheeks. She stated that the focus should be on serious issues important to the people. Bidhuri, who is running against AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, later apologized for his words, which caused a lot of discussions.

Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said on Monday that some members from the BJP’s Priest Cell, called ‘Pandit Prakoshth’, have joined AAP’s ‘Sanatana Sewa Samiti’ just before the Delhi elections. Voting in Delhi will happen on February 5, and the results will be announced on February 8.

During a press conference, Kejriwal announced the names of those who switched parties, such as Vijay Sharma and Dushyant Sharma, among others. Key AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh were also present.

Kejriwal shared an exciting plan: if AAP wins the elections, they will start a new program called ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana’. This program will give Hindu temple priests and gurdwara granthis a monthly payment of Rs 18,000 each. He expressed happiness about improving education and healthcare in Delhi, stating that now it is time to support priests too. He promised that AAP always keeps its promises, unlike the BJP, and they will indeed provide this financial support to priests.

These elections are very important for AAP, as they aim to win a third consecutive term in Delhi.

The Congress party has called on the government to take bold action to tackle the slowing economy after recent reports showed a drop in expected GDP growth. A senior Congress leader, Jairam Ramesh, pointed out that the forecasted GDP growth for the financial year 2024-25 is only 6.4%, which is the lowest in four years. This is a big drop from the previous year’s growth of 8.2%.

Ramesh argues that this growth slowdown sets a sad tone for the upcoming Union Budget. He believes we need to support the poor, raise wages for workers under programs like MGNREGA, and increase minimum support prices for farmers. He also suggested that the government should make the complicated GST system easier and provide tax relief for middle-class families.

Ramesh highlighted that people are buying less and less, which hurts the economy. For example, spending by households has decreased, and car sales are at a four-year low. Many CEOs agree that the middle class is shrinking, and this lack of spending is making businesses hesitant to invest in new projects.

In fact, the government’s own reports say that private sector investment is also slowing down. It’s become worse, with new projects dropping by 21% this year while the government’s spending on infrastructure projects is lagging. By November, the government had only spent about half of its announced investment budget, and this is 12% less than last year.

Ramesh also shared that household savings are declining, suggesting that families are facing tough times even after the pandemic. He stressed that the government needs to take serious actions to improve the economy and support the people before the next budget is presented on February 1.

The Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, spoke out against claims that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) can be tampered with. He said these accusations are not true and pointed to many court rulings that confirm EVMs are reliable.

Kumar made these comments while announcing the schedule for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. He also referenced comments made by billionaire Elon Musk, who suggested that EVMs could be hacked. Kumar explained that there is a big difference between the voting systems used in the U.S. and India. In America, they don’t use EVMs; instead, they have different electronic systems.

He reassured the public that India’s voting process is secure. EVMs are prepared just a week before the election, and when they’re sealed, candidates and their representatives can watch the process closely. On the day of the election, monitoring agents are present when the seals are opened.

Kumar emphasized that the highest courts in India have ruled 42 times that EVMs cannot be hacked and that claims of tampering are just wrong. He said there is no possibility of introducing any virus or changing vote counts. He described EVMs as “foolproof” devices and reassured everyone that people won’t be able to cheat by changing votes after the polls close.

Finally, he noted that the Indian voters are smart and informed, and they understand how the voting process works.

The race for the Delhi Assembly is heating up as Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced that the elections will be held on February 5, with votes counted on February 8. There are important dates to remember: nominations can be filed until January 17, reviewed on January 18, and can be withdrawn by January 20.

This election features a three-way competition between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress. AAP has named its candidates for all 70 assembly seats, while the BJP and Congress have announced some of theirs.

Why This Election Matters

In the last Lok Sabha election, AAP and Congress teamed up to win a combined 43.1% of the votes. However, they usually run separately. History shows AAP’s popularity has grown since it first competed in 2013, while Congress’s support has dropped significantly. For example, in 2013, AAP received 29% of the votes and won 28 seats. In contrast, Congress’s vote share fell to 4.3% in 2020.

Although BJP’s votes increased from 33.1% in 2013 to 38.5% in 2020, they won only 8 seats in the last election down from 31 in 2015. Recently, in Lok Sabha polls, they outperformed both AAP and Congress combined.

Key Candidates to Watch

Some big names are on the ballot, including AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal running in New Delhi against Sheila Dikshit’s son, Sandeep (Congress), and Sahib Singh Verma’s son, Parvesh (BJP). Kejriwal has won this seat in three consecutive elections, so it will be competitive.

Chief Minister Atishi is running in Kalkaji, facing Alka Lamba from Congress and Ramesh Bidhuri from BJP. Both Lamba and Bidhuri are experienced candidates, presenting a challenge for Atishi.

In Jangpura, Manish Sisodia of AAP faces BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah and Congress’ Farhad Suri. Sisodia is newer to this area compared to Marwah, who previously served there.

What the Parties Are Aiming At

AAP is going solo without teaming up with Congress, suggesting they are confident. BJP is hoping to gain from public discontent with AAP, while Congress sees an opportunity to capitalize on anti-establishment feelings against both AAP and BJP. Congress has introduced a plan to give 2,500 rupees a month to women if they win.

Meanwhile, the BJP is criticizing AAP for various issues, leveraging incidents during the pandemic to gain voters’ trust. Prime Minister Modi is personally rallying support with new housing and transportation projects.

In response, AAP is promising various benefits, like monthly stipends for temple priests and financial help for women from low-income families. They are also focused on healthcare services for people over 60.

As the elections draw closer, the major political parties will need to secure support from voters who are looking for answers to pressing issues.

The Election Commission has officially announced the dates for the Delhi Assembly elections. Voting will take place on February 5, and the results will be revealed on February 8. Since the current assembly’s term ends on February 15, the elections need to happen before that date.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is hoping to win for the third time. They are facing strong competition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while the Congress Party is also part of the race but is campaigning independently against both AAP and BJP.

AAP is talking about how it has improved education and healthcare. They promise help for women and free treatment for senior citizens. Meanwhile, BJP is accusing AAP of being corrupt, especially regarding the renovation of the Chief Minister’s home.

Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of AAP, is leading their campaign even though he stepped down as Chief Minister after being granted bail in a corruption case. He says he will return to his job only after the people’s verdict. Other key AAP figures, like Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are also campaigning hard, with Sisodia aiming for a cabinet position after the election results.

List of 70 Delhi Constituencies:
The Election Commission has announced the official list of constituencies for the elections. Here is a simple list of all 70 constituencies in Delhi where the elections will take place.

| Constituency Name | AAP Candidate | BJP Candidate | Congress Candidate |
|————————–|—————|————–|——————–|
| 1. Adarsh Nagar | | | |
| 2. Ambedkar Nagar | | | |
| 3. Anand Vihar | | | |
| 4. Babarpur | | | |
| 5. Badarpur | | | |
| 6. Ballimaran | | | |
| 7. Bawana | | | |
| 8. Bijwasan | Kailash Gahlot| | |
| 9. Burari | | | |
| 10. Chandni Chowk | | | |
| 11. Chhattarpur | | | |
| 12. Dwarka | | | |
| 13. Gandhi Nagar | Arvinder Singh Lovely | | |
| 14. Gokalpur | | | |
| 15. Hari Nagar | | | |
| … and more | | | |
| 70. Dwarka | | | |

The stage is set for a thrilling contest as the election date approaches!

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that the Delhi Assembly elections will be held on February 5, 2025. The results will be revealed three days later on February 8, 2025. In the last elections in 2020, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won a huge victory, taking 62 out of 70 seats, while the BJP won 8 seats.

Recently, AAP leaders, including Chief Minister Atishi, expressed worries about possible problems with how voters are being added and removed from the rolls. Atishi wrote to Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) about a big increase in voter applications in the New Delhi area. Between October 29, 2024, and January 2, 2025, there were 13,276 applications to add voters and 6,166 applications to remove them.

According to the draft electoral rolls published on October 29, 2024, there are 1,06,873 votes. Of these, the deletion requests, which make up about 5.77%, raised concerns because if deletions exceed 2%, the Election Officer must check each request closely. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal also accused the opposition party of committing fraud regarding the voter process in New Delhi.

In response, BJP Delhi president Virendraa Sachdeva denied these accusations and claimed AAP leaders were pressuring election officers. He called this situation a “conspiracy to murder democracy” and demanded action against AAP leaders. This disagreement is increasing tensions between the two parties as they gear up for the upcoming elections, with both sides making serious allegations against each other.

Today, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) kicked off its campaign for the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections. They introduced a new campaign song called “Phir layenge Kejriwal” (We will bring back Kejriwal). The song, which lasts 3 minutes and 29 seconds, highlights what AAP achieved while they were in power. After the song was released, Arvind Kejriwal, the party leader, said that elections feel like festivals for them, and people love their songs. He joked that even BJP leaders might like it and could dance to it in their rooms.

Key AAP leaders like Chief Minister Atishi, Manish Sisodia, and others were at the launch. AAP MP Sanjay Singh expressed his excitement, saying the song will be a hit and will help make Kejriwal win again.

With the Election Commission likely to announce the dates for the elections soon, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said the party is fully prepared. She mentioned that AAP is ready with their Chief Minister candidate and has already chosen 70 candidates, unlike the BJP and Congress, who are not as ready. She believes that voters will choose Kejriwal for a fourth time.

AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj also looked forward to the elections, saying they are confident about winning again. In the 2020 elections, AAP won 62 out of 70 seats, while the BJP got only 8.

Before the election announcement, Arvind Kejriwal shared concerns about possible voter fraud in the New Delhi Assembly area. He mentioned a letter from Atishi to the Chief Electoral Officer that pointed out issues with voter lists, indicating that fraud is happening with new voter additions and deletions.

The New Delhi District Election Officer is worried about pressure from leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), like Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh. These leaders have been coming to the officer’s office a lot, asking for personal details of people who objected to voter deletions. The officer says this information should not be shared according to the rules of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The officer wrote a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi, expressing concerns about political interference. The letter says, “AAP leaders often visit my office to ask for details that are not meant to be shared.” The officer also mentioned that Chief Minister Atishi started meetings without telling them what would be discussed, which raised worries about political pressure.

This situation comes after AAP claimed that many voters were being removed from the electoral list in New Delhi. CM Atishi even wrote to the Delhi CEO, highlighting a big increase in voter addition and deletion requests. She mentioned that from October 29, 2024, to January 2, 2025, there were 13,276 applications to add voters and 6,166 requests to delete voters. This means that about 5.77% of the total voters could be removed, based on the latest voter list.

The assembly elections in Delhi are expected to happen in February 2025. In the last elections in 2020, AAP won 62 out of 70 seats, while BJP got 8 seats.