The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reportedly called for a preparatory meeting this week to finalise arrangements for the Delhi Assembly elections, set to take place early next year. This comes as the national capital is set to witness polling early next year in a triangular fight between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), and the Congress.
Poll dates are likely to be announced shortly after a preparatory meeting this week to finalise arrangements for the Delhi election, NDTV reported citing sources.
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Delhi Election 2025: Triangular Fight Between AAP, BJP, Congress
The AAP, which is seeking a third consecutive term, has already announced candidates for all 70 assembly seats. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal will contest from his New Delhi seat, while Chief Minister Atishi is set to fight from Kalkaji. AAP’s list includes ten turncoats, seven from the BJP and three from Congress. The party has dropped 16 sitting MLAs, replaced three legislators with family members, and swapped candidates in two constituencies.
In a swipe at the BJP, Kejriwal said on X, “BJP is missing. They have no CM face, no team, no planning, and no vision for Delhi. They have only one slogan, only one policy, and only one mission—’Remove Kejriwal’. Ask them what they did in five years, and they reply, ‘Cursed Kejriwal a lot.’”
Senior AAP leaders, including Environment Minister Gopal Rai, Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, and former Health Minister Satyendar Jain, are contesting from their current constituencies. Other prominent names include Amanatullah Khan from Okhla and Somnath Bharti from Malviya Nagar.
Meanwhile, the Congress has named 21 candidates. Among them is Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. A meeting is underway at the Pradesh Congress office on Tuesday to discuss poll strategies, attended by state in-charge leaders and observers.
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The BJP, which has been out of power in Delhi since 1998, is ramping up efforts to challenge AAP. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the party had received over 2,000 applications for tickets and shortlisted three probables for each constituency.
Party insiders revealed that the BJP is likely to focus on new faces, including women and youth leaders with strong grassroots connections. Leaders who have lost two or more elections are unlikely to be fielded, while close calls in previous polls are being carefully analysed. Recent entrants to the BJP, including former Congress leaders Arvinder Singh Lovely and Raj Kumar Chauhan, may also feature in the final list.
The BJP’s outreach campaign is targeting slum areas, considered AAP strongholds. Party sources indicated that the final list of candidates might be released by the end of December, following a series of selection meetings after the parliamentary session concludes on 20 December.
The Delhi Assembly elections, expected in February, come after AAP’s resounding victories in 2015 and 2020, where it won 67 and 62 seats, respectively. The dates for the polls are anticipated to be announced in mid-January, with voting likely post-10 February.
