Delhi Elections

The stage is set for a triangular battle in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls, with the Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, and Congress vying for dominance in the national capital. The ruling AAP has already announced candidates for all 70 constituencies, while the BJP and Congress are yet to finalise their full lists.

The elections promise contests in high-profile constituencies, including the New Delhi seat, where AAP supremo and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal faces formidable rivals. BJP’s Parvesh Singh Verma and Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit, both from political dynasties, have entered the fray to challenge Kejriwal, who has won the seat in the last three elections with significant margins, including a victory by 21,687 votes in 2020.

The AAP is campaigning aggressively for a third consecutive term under Kejriwal’s leadership. The party, which emerged in 2012 from the anti-corruption movement, first contested elections in 2013, when it ousted the Congress government led by Sheila Dikshit, who had served as Delhi’s chief minister for 15 years. Kejriwal assumed office with Congress’ support but resigned after 49 days, leading to fresh elections.

The BJP, which has been out of power in Delhi since 1998 under its last chief minister, the late Sushma Swaraj. The saffron party, which won only eight seats in the 2020 elections, is looking to regain ground in the capital.

Meanwhile, the Congress, once a dominant force in Delhi, is aiming for a comeback after a decade of setbacks. Under Sheila Dikshit’s leadership, the party had ruled Delhi for three consecutive terms from 1998 to 2013. However, it failed to win any seats in the last two assembly elections. This time, the Congress is targeting both the BJP and its INDIA bloc ally, the AAP, with renewed vigor.