Issue Brief on “Analyzing Pre-Poll Electioneering in Delhi”

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Background

Legislative assembly elections in Delhi are scheduled for 5 February 2025 — to be held in a single phase and the results slated to be declared on 8 February. Having a population of around 33.8 million, Delhi has 15.5 million registered voters of which 8.37 million are men and 7.23 million women.[1] The Election Commission of India has set up 13,766 polling stations around the Capital, deploying paramilitary forces for smooth balloting. Delhi is being contested among three major parties, the incumbent Aam Admi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal; the Indian National Congress (INC) spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi; and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These parties are vying hard and utilizing all possible means to secure a majority. The AAP has been in power for the last two terms as Kejriwal secured overwhelming majority of 67 and 62 seats out of 70 in the 2015 and 2020 elections, respectively. Before AAP, INC had formed government for 17 years. It has been 27 years for the BJP trying unsuccessfully to secure a majority in Delhi’s legislative assembly.[2]

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