The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially announced the schedule for the 2025 General Election to the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. In a Press Conference held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar unveiled a detailed blueprint for a robust, transparent, and participative election process.
Election Timeline and Highlights
- Polling Date: February 5, 2025
- Vote Counting: February 8, 2025
- Current Assembly Term Ends: February 23, 2025
- Total Assembly Constituencies (ACs): 70
- General: 58
- Scheduled Castes (SC): 12
Delhi’s electorate has grown significantly, with 1.55 crore registered voters as of January 6, 2025. This diverse pool includes:
- Male Voters: 83.49 lakh
- Female Voters: 71.74 lakh
- First-time Voters (18-19 years): 2.08 lakh
- Young Voters (20-29 years): 25.89 lakh
- Persons with Disabilities (PwDs): 79,436
- Centenarians: 830
- Transgender Electors: 1,261
- 85+ Age Electors: 1.09 lakh
Over 1.55 crore electors registered in Delhi.
Any eligible citizen not yet registered can also register till 10 days before the last date of nomination.
Details of the electorate as on 06.01.2025 in image.#ECI pic.twitter.com/vPd5OCr7Ey
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) January 7, 2025
Pioneering Initiatives for Enhanced Voting Experience
The ECI has introduced several innovative measures to make voting a comfortable and celebratory experience:
Webcasting at 100 per cent Polling Stations: Ensuring live monitoring of the voting process.
Facilities for PwDs and Elderly Voters:
- Home voting option through postal ballots for voters aged 85+ and those with disabilities.
- Wheelchairs, ramps, and priority queue systems for convenience.
- Benches for pregnant women and the elderly in polling station queues.
- The Saksham App to assist PwDs in accessing polling facilities.
Voting made comfortable, a cherished experience!
Assured Minimum Facilities will ensure that voting becomes festive.
Proper queue management to minimise hassles.
Benches in Queues for elderly and pregnant women.#DelhiElections2025#ECI pic.twitter.com/aSHTnBoqQx
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) January 7, 2025
Special Polling Stations:
- 70 stations managed entirely by women.
- 70 stations managed by PwDs.
- 210 model polling stations with enhanced amenities.
Technology Driving Transparency and Accountability
- cVigil App: Empowering citizens to report Model Code of Conduct violations in real time.
- Suvidha Portal: Streamlining campaign-related permissions for political parties and candidates.
- Voter Helpline App: Providing easy access to electoral rolls, polling station locations, and other vital information.
#TechPowered Elections!#cVigil – Report mcc violations#Suvidha Portal – Facilitating political parties and candidates for campaign related permission#VoterHelplineApp – Easing search for electoral information#DelhiElections2025 pic.twitter.com/Ni4UDQ6cME
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) January 7, 2025
Reinforcing Confidence in EVMs
CEC Kumar reaffirmed the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), stating, “EVMs remain under constant scrutiny from commissioning to counting. Allegations of tampering are unfounded, as proven in judicial reviews 42 times.” Key highlights include:
- VVPAT Integration: Ensuring verifiable voting results.
- Cross-verification: Votes tallied with Form 17C in the presence of polling agents.
- Tamper-proof Design: Immune to viruses, hacking, or rigging.
CEC Rajiv Kumar addresses concerns raised about mismatch in votes polled and counted.
Tallying of EVM Votes polled with Form 17C available with agents.#VTR App DO NOT include #PostalBallot votes, only #EVM votes.
Details 👇 pic.twitter.com/u6Uci5uXVv
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) January 7, 2025
Debunking Voter Turnout Myths
CEC Kumar addressed misconceptions about voter turnout (VTR), particularly allegations of inflated numbers post-5 PM. He clarified:
- Final VTR data includes postal ballots, unlike initial reports.
- Discrepancies in vote tallying are resolved through standard procedures like deleting mock poll data.
Proactive Disclosures – a treasure trove of ECI data!
☑️Detailed Notes & FAQs on ER, EVM and VTR released
☑️Comprehensive data sets on General Elections 2024 with nearly 100 statistical Reports released
Link: https://t.co/ZBSrqiThCp pic.twitter.com/CTzI0T1ICc
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) January 7, 2025
Voter Turnout manipulation – an impossibility.
Misleading to compare final VTR with 5 PM Data.
Near close of poll, Polling officials perform multiple functions .
Form 17C – Given to Polling Agents at close of poll at polling stations.
Process chart in image👇#ECI pic.twitter.com/qicnIuigW0
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) January 7, 2025
Transparent and Participatory Electoral Rolls
- Rigorous processes ensure accuracy in voter lists.
- Political parties are actively involved at every stage.
- Full disclosure and opportunities for objections ensure inclusivity.
Crackdown on Electoral Malpractices
To ensure free and fair elections, the ECI has intensified surveillance and directed enforcement agencies to:
Crackdown on use of money power !
Joint teams, shared intel, constant vigil and swift action.
Directions to Enforcement Agencies for #FreeAndFair elections #DelhiElections2025 pic.twitter.com/RMPCSSoSQe
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) January 7, 2025
- Maintain constant vigilance against misuse of money and muscle power.
- Guarantee a level playing field for all participants.
CEC Kumar concluded the press conference with a heartfelt appeal to Delhi’s citizens: “Let Dilli vote with full participation.” Encouraging urban voters to show up in large numbers, the ECI aims to set a benchmark for democratic engagement.
With the announcement of the election dates, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force in the national capital and will remain in force till the completion of the election process.
The final voter list published on January 6, 2025 for the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections recorded a total of 1,55,24,858 registered voters in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, showing a net increase of 1.09 per cent.
As the elections approach, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its campaign. The BJP candidates have targeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his alleged involvement in the Delhi Excise Policy case and expressed confidence in forming the next government with a “double engine” administration.
The BJP has accused the AAP leaders of corruption and misgovernance while the AAP, which is aiming to come to power for the third consecutive time, is focusing on highlighting its achievements in the education and health sector.
In the race for the New Delhi seat, the BJP has fielded Parvesh Verma, former MP and son of former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma, to challenge Arvind Kejriwal. The Congress has also entered the fray with Sandeep Dixit, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit, from the same seat.
The BJP has fielded former MP Ramesh Bidhuri against Delhi CM Atishi in the Kalkaji seat while the Congress has fielded former MLA Alka Lamba.
The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. In contrast, the AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats while the BJP got only eight seats.
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