Delhi to vote on Feb 5, results on Feb 8

Polling for all 70 assembly seats in Delhi will be held on February 5 as a triangular contest is on the cards with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress aiming to halt the Aam Aadmi Partry from coming to power for a third successive term.

Announcing the schedule on Tuesday, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said votes will be counted on February 8.

The last date of filing of nominations is January 17 and the scrutiny of nominations will be done by January 18.

Candidates will be able to withdraw their nominations till January 20.

"It is a single-phase election... We have deliberately kept polling on a Wednesday so more people come out to vote... like we did in Maharashtra. The entire election process will be completed by February 10," Kumar told a press conference.

He dismissed allegations that names eligible voters were removed from voters' list.

Kumar asserted that no deletion can occur without thorough documentation, field verification, and giving the concerned individual an opportunity to be heard.

He emphasised that the process for additions and deletions is transparent, rigorous, and immune to arbitrary changes.

Of the 70 seats in Delhi, 58 are general and 12 reserved.

According to the electoral roll, Delhi has 1.55 crore voters -- 83.49 lakh men, 71.74 lakh women and 1,261 transgender persons.

There are 25.89 lakh young voters, 2.08 lakh first-time voters, and 830 above the age of 100, Kumar said.

More than 13,000 polling stations will be set up in Delhi, he said.

In the 2020 polls, the Aam Aadmi Party won 62 seats and the BJP eight while the Congress drew a blank.

The ruling AAP faces anti-incumbency, corruption allegations and an aggressive BJP in its bid to assume power for a third successive term though the party's schemes and programmes like revamped government schools, mohalla clinics, and free electricity remain its USP as also women's free bus rides and senior citizen pilgrimage grants.

Announcement of Rs 2,100 monthly honorarium for women, free healthcare for elderly, and Rs 10 lakh insurance for auto drivers will add to its welfare-driven campaign.

Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday launched the party's campaign song which highlights the AAP government's focus - providing free electricity, clean water, health care, and education.

The BJP is making all-out attempts to come back to power in Delhi after over 25 years focussing on its slogan "Parivartan" (change) and a targeted campaign against the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP over corruption allegations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 'Parivartan Rally' in Rohini last week made the party's intentions clear giving the call "Aapda (AAP) nahi sahenge, badal kar rahenge" (won't tolerate the disaster (AAP), will bring change").

The BJP has also launched a sustained campaign for change in public perception by "Sheesh Mahal" and liquor scam" that led Kejriwal to step down as Delhi chief minister. The party is also raising civic issues like water scarcity, supply of polluted water, air pollution, waterlogging during rains, damaged roads, poor public bus transport in the national capital.

The Congress, unrepresented in the Delhi assembly since 2015, is desperately trying to gain a foothold in the February 5 elections.

To counter AAP's Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojna of a monthly assistance of Rs 2,100 post elections, the Congress has announced 'Pyaari Didi Yojana' where it promised a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 to women if voted to power.

In the press conference, Kumar said bypolls to two assembly constituencies -- Milkipur in Uttar Pradesh and Erode in Tamil Nadu -- will also be held according to the same schedule while two assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir -- Budgam and Nagrota -- will go to byelections later.

"... Because of snow conditions, we will do it later. We have time till April and we will complete those elections before that," he said.

"There are two more parliamentary constituencies -- Basirhat in West Bengal and Visavadar in Gujarat. In both the cases, there are election petitions pending and, according to rules, we cannot do byelections till then," he added.

Election petitions can be filed against the winning candidate in the respective state high courts within 45 days of the declaration of results.