Delhi Election 2025: Voting in single phase on February 5, results on February 8

The Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced the schedule for the Delhi Assembly elections 2025. Polling for the 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held in a single phase on February 5 while the results will be announced on February 8, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Tuesday.

The ECI's announcement of the poll schedule brings the Model Code of Conduct into effect in the national capital. The announcement of the poll schedule also sets the stage or a fierce three-way contest between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

The AAP, which swept the last two Assembly elections in 2015 and 2020 with 67 and 62 seats, respectively, will be looking to make a statement with a hat-trick this time. The BJP, on the other hand, will look to make a dent in the AAP's prospects after being reduced to single digits in the previous two assemblies.

The Congress faces an uphill challenge after being wiped out from the Assembly after having ruled the capital under Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit from 1998 to 2013. The party currently has no representation in the Delhi Assembly. The party contested the Lk Sabha elections in Delhi in alliance with AAP but will fight the Assembly polls on it own.

The announcement of party candidates by the three parties has also set up some key contests to watch out for. These include the New Delhi constituency where former CM Arvind Kejriwal will face BJP leader and former West Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh, and former Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit, son of the late CM Sheila Dikshit.