PM Narendra Modi, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Congress' Rahul Gandhi.
Credit: PTI Photos
New Delhi: The high-voltage campaigning for Delhi Assembly polls will come to an end at 5 pm on Monday, ushering in the mandatory silence period before voting on February 5.
On the final day of campaigning, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has scheduled 22 roadshows and rallies across Delhi, intensifying its bid to reclaim power in the capital after more than 25 years.
On the other hand, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) remains confident of securing a third straight term, banking on its governance model of free welfare schemes.
The Congress, which ruled the capital for 15 years until 2013, is striving to regain its lost ground after drawing a blank in the last two elections.
The fiercely-contested electoral battle has been defined by an unprecedented use of AI-generated spoofs, sharp political jibes, and high-decibel roadshows.
The Election Commission's Model Code of Conduct (MCC) mandates that all public meetings, election-related functions, and campaigning must cease 48 hours before the close of polling.
According to the poll body, any dissemination of campaign material via cinema, TV, and print media is also prohibited during this period.
The elections have turned into an intense war of words, with parties using catchy slogans and barbed attacks.
While the AAP branded the BJP as "Bharatiya Jhootha Party" (Indian Liar Party) and "Gali Galouch Party" (Abusive Party), Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit back by dubbing the AAP as "AAP-Daa" (disaster) and its chief Arvind Kejriwal as "Ghoshna Mantri" (Minister of Announcements).
The Congress, trying to claw back into Delhi's political corridor, labelled Kejriwal as "Farziwal" (Fake) and a "Chhota Recharge" (Small Recharge) of Modi.
With AI-generated memes and digital campaigns dominating the narrative, the battle for Delhi has reached new levels of political discourse this time.
According to the data of Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), 1.56 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots across 13,766 polling stations on February 5.
Among them, 83.76 lakh are men, 72.36 lakh women, while 1,267 are third-gender voters. To facilitate a smooth voting process, 733 polling stations have been designated for persons with disabilities.
The Election Commission has also introduced a Queue Management System (QMS) application for the first time in India, allowing voters to check real-time crowd levels at polling stations through the Delhi Election - 2025 QMS app.
Under the home voting facility for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, 6,980 out of 7,553 eligible voters have already cast their votes. This service, which began on January 24, will continue until February 4.
To ensure free and fair elections, 220 companies of paramilitary forces, 19,000 home guards, and 35,626 Delhi Police personnel will be deployed.
Additionally, 21,584 ballot units, 20,692 control units, and 18,943 VVPATs have been prepared, including provisions for dummy and Braille ballot papers.
In 2015, AAP swept 67 of the 70 seats at stake, leaving just three for the BJP and none for the Congress.
In 2020, AAP maintained its dominance with 62 seats, while the BJP won eight and the Congress once again failed to open its account.
With a resurgent BJP confident of breaking AAP's streak and the Congress eyeing a revival, Delhi is set for one of its most intense electoral battles yet.
The final verdict will reveal whether the rhetoric and slogans resonated with the voters or if the capital's political landscape remains unchanged.
Whether the AAP retains its hold on Delhi, the BJP stages a comeback, or the Congress springs a surprises -- the picture will be clear once the results are out on February 8.
Delhi Assembly Election 2025 | The first of two state assembly polls this year sees a three-way contest between AAP, Congress, and BJP in the nation's capital. AAP decided to contest the polls alone, causing rumours of a rift in I.N.D.I.A. BJP, meanwhile, is hoping the liquor excise policy scam and pollution in Delhi will give the saffron party an edge over AAP. Kejriwal, on the other hand, has different plans with his demand for reservations for Delhi Jats. Congress will also be looking to make its presence felt and has not held back from attacking its own alliance partner. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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