Delhi Assembly Elections 2025 | Polling on February 5, votes to be counted on February 8

New Delhi: Delhi will vote on February 5 in a crucial Assembly election, in which people will choose whether to repeat a ten-year-old AAP government or to bring the BJP back in saddle after a gap of 27 years or impart some political relevance to Congress in the capital’s political landscape.

The counting of votes will be held on February 8, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who was flanked by Election Commissioners Gyanendra Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, told a press conference. This is Kumar’s last election announcement as he retires next month.

The notification for the election will be issued on January 10 and the filing of nominations will end on January 17. The last date for withdrawal is scheduled three days later. Delhi has 1.55 crore voters – 83.49 lakh men, 71.74 lakh women and 1,261 transgender.

Kumar said there are 2.08 lakh first time voters (18-19 years) while another 25.89 lakh voters are in the age group of 20-29 years. There are als0 830 voters who are above 100 years of age while 1.09 lakh are above 85 years.

The term of the current Assembly ends on February 23.

Kumar also said the Commission would write to the Cabinet Secretary, asking the government not to include any Delhi-specific provision in the Union Budget that can disturb the level-playing field, CEC Rajiv Kumar said on Tuesday. The Budget is likely to be presented on February 1.

The announcement came a day after the Election Commission published the Special Summary Revision (SSR), 2025 of electoral rolls ahead of the assembly elections. At present, there are 1.67 crore people registered as voters for the Assembly elections.

This edition of Assembly elections are crucial for AAP, BJP and Congress as it could define their future stake in the capital’s politics. AAP is seeking another term based on its achievements but corruption scandals have dented its image.

BJP is riding on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s skills to persuade voters to their side to the elusive chair in Delhi Secretariat. Just before the poll announcement, Modi has hit the ground describing AAP rule as ‘AAPda’ (disaster) and directly attacking former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

For Congress, it is a battle for existence as it could not win a single seat in in 2015 and 2020 Assembly elections. AAP has already announced candidates for all 70 seats, fielding 24 new faces in their sitting seats, while the Congress has announced 48 candidates and BJP 29.