Delhi Assembly Elections Set for Feb 2, Results to Be Declared on Feb 8

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 8th Jan. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced the dates for the first major electoral contest of 2025, confirming that the Delhi Assembly elections will take place on February 2, 2025. The counting of votes will occur on February 8, 2025.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar revealed that the election will be conducted in a single phase. The process will begin with the filing of nominations, which will end on January 17, 2025. Candidates will have until January 20 to withdraw their nominations. Delhi, with a voter base of 1.55 crore, will see the establishment of 13,033 polling booths across the city.

In addition to the Delhi Assembly elections, bypolls will be held in two assembly constituencies—Milkipur in Uttar Pradesh and Erode in Tamil Nadu—on the same schedule. The high-profile contest in Delhi will see the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Congress vying for the 70 seats. The AAP, which has been in power in the national capital since 2015, secured a resounding victory in the 2020 elections, winning 62 seats while the BJP managed only 8, with the Congress failing to secure any seats.

During the announcement, Kumar also addressed concerns raised about the electoral process and electronic voting machines (EVMs), amid allegations of tampering and manipulation. “There are baseless allegations regarding wrongful additions or deletions in the electoral rolls targeting particular groups. It is our duty to clear all doubts,” he stated, emphasizing that the electoral rolls are scrutinized and updated with transparency, allowing political parties to participate in the process.

Kumar further dismissed concerns about EVMs, reiterating that the machines are tamper-proof. “Courts have ruled on 42 occasions that EVMs are not hackable. No Trojan Horse or virus can be introduced into the machines,” he affirmed.

Addressing claims of discrepancies in voter turnout data, the CEC asserted that it was “impossible” to manipulate such figures, calling allegations of sudden increases in turnout after 5 pm “misconceived.”

As the political parties gear up for this crucial election, the ECI has reaffirmed its commitment to a fair and transparent process.