Delhi election date announced: Voting in single phase on February 5

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced that the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections will be conducted in a single phase on February 5, with the results to be declared on February 8.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar highlighted the critical role of voter participation in strengthening democracy.

“The Gazette Notification for the elections will be issued on Friday, January 10, 2025. The deadline for filing nominations is Friday, January 17, 2025, and the scrutiny of nominations will take place on Saturday, January 18, 2025. The last date for withdrawing candidatures is Monday, January 20, 2025,” he announced.

The term of the 70-member Delhi Assembly ends on February 23, 2025. Notably, Delhi has traditionally witnessed assembly polls in a single phase.

Encouraging citizens to actively participate in the electoral process, the CEC said, “Dilli dil se vote karegi (Delhi will vote with all its heart). Democracy is a beautiful garden; keep decorating it with your votes.”

Highlighting the growing voter base, Kumar said, “Electoral rolls were released yesterday. We are now crossing 99 crore voters nationwide. Soon, we will be a nation of one billion voters, setting another remarkable record in democracy.”

Delhi currently has 1,55,24,858 registered voters, including 83,49,645 men, 71,73,952 women, and 1,261 third-gender voters. Among them, there are 24,44,320 senior citizens, including 2,77,221 voters above the age of 80.

Reflecting on global democratic developments, Kumar noted, “2024 was the year of elections worldwide, with two-thirds of the world’s population in democracies participating in various polls.”

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The upcoming Delhi elections are expected to witness a three-way contest between the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress.

In the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, which were announced on January 6, polling was held on February 8, and votes were counted on February 11. The AAP secured a landslide victory, winning 62 out of 70 seats, while the BJP won eight seats. The Congress failed to secure any seats.