Security personnel keep vigil at a counting centre in New Delhi on February 7, 2025 on the eve of counting of votes for the Delhi Assembly elections.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
The counting of votes for the Delhi Assembly election held on February 5 is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday (February 8, 2025) across 19 counting centres. The results, expected to be declared by afternoon, will determine which of the three main parties — Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress — will govern the national capital.
The high-stakes election was marked by a fierce campaign, with each party announcing various welfare schemes to win over the electorate. While AAP is seeking to return to power for a fourth consecutive term, the BJP is optimistic about its chances of forming a government in the national capital after nearly three decades. The Congress, which was in power in Delhi for 15 consecutive years, is looking to revive its fortunes after drawing a blank in the previous two elections in 2020 and 2015.
Several exit polls have given the BJP an edge over AAP, which has been the ruling party since 2015. However, AAP has expressed confidence in winning 50 seats after taking feedback from booth-level agents. The party has also accused the Opposition of trying to “exert psychological pressure” using exit polls and attempting to execute ‘Operation Lotus’. It was alluding to alleged attempts to engineer defections within AAP by offering money to its candidates. “But let me make it clear… BJP’s Operation Lotus will not succeed at any cost,” AAP’s Delhi convener Gopal Rai had said after a meeting at party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s residence on Friday.
Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer Alice Vaz said a total of 5,000 personnel, including counting supervisors, counting assistants, micro-observers, and support staff trained for the process, will be deployed for the counting of votes.
Three-tier security
A three-tier security arrangement, including paramilitary forces, has been put in place to ensure a smooth counting process, according to Delhi Police. The police said over 1,090 cases were registered for violation of the model code of conduct (MCC), and over 35,000 people were arrested or detained in connection with these cases between January 7, when the MCC came into force, and February 6.
According to the Election Commission, 60.54% votes were polled in Delhi’s 70 Assembly constituencies. In the 2020 poll, AAP won 62 seats, and the BJP eight. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP had won all seven seats, defeating joint candidates of the INDIA bloc partners, AAP and the Congress.
Published – February 08, 2025 01:27 am IST