Campaigning for Delhi polls concludes

Intense campaigning for Delhi Assembly polls by AAP, BJP, and Congress, focusing on welfare schemes and promises for voters.

Campaigning for the February 5 Delhi Assembly polls ended at 6 p.m. on Monday (February 3, 2025). The triangular battle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the BJP and the Congress saw multiple rallies and campaigns by senior leaders, trying to convince the voters on the multitude of welfare schemes announced in their manifestos.

The BJP, making another push to come back to power after 28 years, saw a rally blitz in the capital, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing three rallies after the poll announcement, and two before. BJP senior leaders addressed rallies promising to push a developmental agenda and attacked the AAP on alleged corruption and failure to deliver on its promises in the past two terms.

The AAP, trying to retain power for a fourth term, asked people to vote for it to continue receiving free electricity, a promise of 24X7 water, continuing to improve education and healthcare. The party warned voters that if the BJP comes to power, it will roll back the welfare schemes such as free electricity and water — a narrative that the BJP has repeatedly tried to dismiss, with even Mr. Modi frequently assuring it won’t happen.

The Congress campaign was spearheaded by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who lashed out at the AAP and the BJP for not keeping their promises. The Congress said it would bring back the pace of development seen in Sheila Dikshit’s regime. The Congress is trying to make a comeback after being reduced to zero seats in Delhi for a decade. The BJP is contesting 68 seats, after giving two seats to its NDA allies JD(U) and the LJP. Meanwhile, several parties from the the INDIA bloc lent their support to the AAP instead of the Congress.

While the BJP unleashed nearly 200 rallies over the past few days with Chief Ministers of several BJP-run States chipping in, the AAP’s campaign revolved around Mr. Kejriwal addressing a minimum of three rallies a day for the past fortnight. The AAP leader, while accepting that there was work yet to be done, asked for a third term, pitching employment, and saving the middle class.

The Union Budget presentation further bolstered the BJP’s campaign, with Mr. Modi reaching out to the middle class in his last rally in the capital.

The aggressive campaign saw the AAP and the BJP running to the Election Commission on issues of voter deletion in various constituencies, and alleged comments made by the AAP chief related to ammonia in the Yamuna river.