The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): The intense and high-voltage campaigning in Delhi concluded on Thursday evening, setting the stage for the polls on May 25. The national capital saw a flurry of political activities, with Union ministers, chief ministers, and senior leaders of various political parties rallying to garner support.
A total of 162 candidates are contesting the critical elections, with the highest number of candidates vying for the North East Delhi constituency. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) campaign featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed two rallies, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, among others. On the last day of campaigning, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, and Piyush Goyal spearheaded a robust campaign in the city.
Chief ministers from BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhand’s Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Goa’s Pramod Sawant, also joined the campaign to support the BJP candidates.
The Congress party’s campaign was led by its chief Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and Sachin Pilot. On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi addressed public meetings in Mangolpuri and Dilshad Garden to support Congress candidates. He also took a metro ride, interacting with commuters. Previously, on May 18, he held a public meeting in Ashok Vihar.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, released on interim bail until June 1, conducted roadshows in support of Congress candidates, while Sachin Pilot campaigned for Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) South Delhi candidate, Sahi Ram Pahalwan. The AAP and Congress are part of the opposition INDIA bloc, which has a seat-sharing arrangement for the Delhi Lok Sabha seats.
AAP’s campaign gained momentum with Kejriwal’s release from Tihar Jail. His wife, Sunita Kejriwal, held roadshows for party candidates, while senior AAP leaders like Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjay Singh, and Gopal Rai conducted outreach activities under the ‘Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se’ campaign. Following his release, Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led roadshows in various constituencies, with Sunita Kejriwal joining them.
The elections are essentially a direct contest between the INDIA bloc and the BJP. In New Delhi, AAP’s Somnath Bharti is up against BJP’s Bansuri Swaraj. Congress’ Kanhaiya Kumar is challenging BJP’s Manoj Tiwari in North East Delhi. Tiwari is seeking a third term as MP and is the only BJP candidate repeating this election.
In East Delhi, AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar is running against BJP’s Harsh Malhotra. In West Delhi, AAP’s Mahabal Mishra is competing with BJP’s Kamaljeet Sehrawat. Praveen Khandelwal of the BJP is facing veteran Congress leader JP Agarwal in Chandni Chowk. Udit Raj of the Congress is up against BJP’s Yogendra Chandolia in Northwest Delhi. Ramvir Singh Bidhuri of the BJP is contesting from South Delhi, with AAP fielding Sahiram Pahalwan.
There are 1.52 crore registered voters in Delhi, with West Delhi having the highest number at 25.87 lakh. The Election Commission has set up over 13,000 polling stations across 2,627 locations. The gender ratio has improved to 851 women per 1,000 men from 818 in 2019.
To ensure a smooth polling process, 13,637 polling stations, including 2,891 critical ones, will be monitored through webcasts. Seventy pink booths, staffed exclusively by women, and 70 model polling booths will be established. Over one lakh polling personnel, supported by 46 companies of Central Armed Police Forces, 78,578 Delhi Police personnel, and 19,000 home guards, will be deployed for security.
A total of 6,833 polling stations will be directly monitored by the chief election officer’s office and district election officers through a webcast, ensuring transparency and accountability in the electoral process.