Delhi Assembly Elections 2025: 981 Candidates Vie For Power With 1,521 Nominations In 70 Seats

With the Delhi assembly elections set for February 5, the electoral battle heats up as 1521 nominations have been submitted across 70 constituencies. According to the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi's office, these nominations come from 981 hopeful candidates vying for a seat in the Delhi Assembly.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) noted a surge in submissions, with 680 nominations filed just on January 17, the final day for filing. This significant number underlines the competitive nature of the upcoming elections.

Nominations Under Scrutiny

Scrutiny of these nominations is already underway, with candidates having until January 20 to withdraw their candidature. The ECI highlighted that the New Delhi Assembly Constituency saw the highest number of nominations, with 29 candidates submitting 40 papers.

This constituency will witness a high-profile contest as former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal faces off against Parvesh Verma and Sandeep Dikshit, both sons of former Delhi CMs, representing the BJP and Congress, respectively.

Conversely, the Kasturba Nagar Assembly Constituency observed the lowest engagement, with just 9 nominations from 6 candidates. Here, AAP's Ramesh Pahalwan, BJP's Neeraj Basoya, and Congress' Abhishek Dutt are in the fray. Another notable constituency is Kalkaji, where 18 candidates have filed 28 papers. Atishi, the incumbent CM from AAP, competes against BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress' Alka Lamba.

Nominations

The nominations across Delhi showcase the varying intensity of electoral contests. Central Delhi and East Delhi saw 154 and 119 nominations, respectively. Notably, the New Delhi area, with key constituencies like Patel Nagar and Rajinder Nagar, received 135 nominations. In contrast, North Delhi and North-East Delhi saw 183 and 116 nominations, respectively. The spread extends to North West Delhi and Shahdara, with 139 and 124 submissions each.

South Delhi, known for constituencies such as Malviya Nagar and Mehrauli, saw 88 nominations. Meanwhile, South East and South West Delhi received 140 and 153 nominations, respectively. West Delhi, including areas like Nangloi Jat and Janakpuri, saw a substantial 170 nominations for 104 seats.

One of the interesting shifts this election is former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia moving from the Patparganj seat, which he has held since 2013, to contest in Jangpura assembly. Patparganj is now represented by renowned educator Awadh Ojha from AAP, among others, highlighting the strategic candidate placements by parties.

As the election date approaches, the political atmosphere in Delhi is charged with anticipation. The AAP, BJP, and Congress are rigorously campaigning, each levelling accusations against the others. This election is not just a test of policies and promises but also of the political legacies and the future direction of Delhi's governance.