The Kalkaji assembly constituency was among the most closely contested seats in the 2025 Delhi elections, with chief minister Atishi of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) locking horns with Congress's Alka Lamba and BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri.
The constituency witnessed a turnout of 54.59% (provisional figures), lower than the 2020 figures.
BJP's comeback bid
The BJP has never won the Kalkaji seat since 1993, but it is banking on Bidhuri’s strong electoral track record to turn the tide.
Bidhuri, a three-time MLA from Tughlakabad, won in 2003, 2008, and 2013, even when the BJP struggled overall in the national capital.
He later served as the MP for South Delhi in both 2014 and 2019 but was not given a ticket for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Kalkaji assembly seat: Past results
| Election | Name | Party |
| 1993 | Purnima Sethi | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| 1998 | Subhash Chopra | Indian National Congress |
| 2003 | ||
| 2008 | ||
| 2013 | Harmeet Singh Kalka | Shiromani Akali Dal |
| 2015 | Avtar Singh | Aam Aadmi Party |
| 2020 | Atishi Marlena |
Congress eyes revival
For the Congress, which has not won a single seat in Delhi since 2015, the Kalkaji contest represents a crucial opportunity.
Alka Lamba, who previously held the seat from 1998 to 2013, is aiming for a comeback.
Lamba’s political journey has seen multiple shifts—she was with the Congress from 1994 to 2014 before joining AAP and winning from Chandni Chowk in 2015.
However, she returned to Congress in 2019 and has since faced two electoral defeats.
A victory in Kalkaji would not only mark Congress’s return to the Delhi Assembly but would also serve as a political statement against AAP, a party Lamba left amid public disagreements.
AAP seeks to hold ground
Atishi is contesting from Kalkaji for the second time and is one of AAP’s most prominent leaders. She won the seat in 2020 with nearly 56,000 votes and a margin exceeding 11,000. Her growing stature within the party has been evident, particularly after her induction into the cabinet as AAP’s first woman minister.
If AAP secures another victory in Kalkaji, it will mark the party’s third consecutive win in the constituency since Avtar Singh’s triumph in 2015.
Pradeep Gupta of Axis My India said that AAP holds an edge in the Kalkaji constituency during his exit poll predictions.
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