Delhi Elections 2025: Polling begins amid high political stakes

Voting for the Delhi Assembly elections commenced at 7 am today across all 70 constituencies and will continue until 6 pm. The elections are crucial as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seeks a third consecutive term, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress aim for a resurgence in the national capital.

AAP is banking on its governance record and welfare schemes to retain power, whereas the BJP is making an aggressive push to reclaim Delhi after more than two decades. The Congress, which led the city for 15 years until 2013, is hoping for a revival after failing to secure any seats in the last two elections.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have registered a case against AAP MLA and Okhla candidate Amanatullah Khan for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). An FIR has been filed against him at Jamia Nagar police station for conducting a late-night campaign event.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged Delhi residents to exercise their voting rights, emphasizing that each vote plays a role in shaping the city’s future. “Your one vote will be a symbol of change in Delhi,” he stated in a message on social media, encouraging young voters to actively participate in the democratic process.

Congress candidate Alka Lamba, who cast her vote in Kalkaji, criticized both AAP and BJP for failing on key issues such as pollution, law and order, unemployment, and inflation. “Delhi has regressed by 20 years in the last decade,” she remarked.

Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and his wife, Sunita Dwivedi, cast their votes at a polling booth in the New Delhi constituency, where early voters were gifted saplings. The General highlighted the significance of voting as both a right and a responsibility, calling it a proud moment for democracy.

Sandeep Dikshit, Congress candidate from New Delhi and son of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, also exercised his franchise. He encouraged voters to turn out in large numbers and choose candidates committed to development.

With polling underway, all eyes are on voter turnout and the electoral battle among Delhi’s key political players. The results will determine the city's leadership for the next five years.

There are over 1.56 crore voters eligible to cast their ballots from 7 am onwards on Wednesday, 5 February 2025.

Voting will be taking place across 13,766 polling stations in all the 70 Assembly constituencies to decide the fates of 699 candidates in a contest that could reshape the political landscape of the capital.

Nearly 3,000 polling booths have been identified as sensitive, and special security arrangements, including drone surveillance, Quick Reaction Team, Striking Team and one company of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been deployed to maintain law and order.

"All Delhi Police personnel are committed to ensuring free, fair, and peaceful elections. The pre-poll arrangements have already been done and all the senior staff of the Delhi Police are on the ground to ensure peaceful election," Special Commissioner of Police (SPNO Delhi Assembly Elections) Devesh Chandra Srivastva said.

He said that 220 companies of paramilitary forces out of which 150 companies of CAPF and 70 companies of 10 different states, along with over 30,000 police personnel, 9,000 Home Guards, and all the senior police officers of Delhi Police have been deployed.

Srivastva said that robust security arrangements are in place across the national capital.

He said all the 65 border points that Delhi shares with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have already been sealed and heavy deployment of security has been put in place.

He said that from 7 January to 3 February, the Delhi Police has recorded 1,076 cases of alleged MCC violations and arrested or detained 34,250 people for it.

"These are cases lodged between 7 January, when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force, and 3 February which was the last day of campaigning for the Delhi Assembly polls. Our teams have also confiscated 469 illegal firearms and 513 cartridges with 491 people arrested under the Arms Act," said the Special CP.

Police have also seized 1,10,093 litres of liquor and 1,381 people were arrested for it. He said that due to strict vigil, police seized 196.602 kg of drugs worth over Rs 77.9 crore and more than 1,200 banned injections were also seized and arrested 177 people for it.

(With PTI Inputs)