Voting for the critical Delhi Assembly elections wrapped up on Wednesday, reporting a preliminary voter turnout of 57.89 percent by 8:30 PM, determining the fate of 699 candidates vying for office.
Most exit polls indicated a favorable outcome for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which could mark the party’s return to power in the National Capital Territory after nearly 30 years. However, it’s essential to note that predictions from exit polls have often proven inaccurate, particularly during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and recent Assembly contests in Maharashtra and Haryana. Notably, several key exit polls chose not to disclose their forecasts this time.
According to the People’s Insight exit poll, the NDA is expected to secure between 40 to 44 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is projected to obtain 25 to 29 seats, and the Congress could potentially win 0 to 1 seat. In contrast, the P-Marq exit poll forecasts that the NDA will achieve 39 to 49 seats, with the AAP acquiring 21 to 31 seats and Congress likely winning 0 to 1 seat as well.
Similarly, the JVC exit poll estimates that the BJP and its allies will gain 39 to 45 seats, AAP will get 22 to 31 seats, and Congress might secure between 0 to 2 seats. Chanakya Strategies echoed this sentiment, predicting 39 to 44 seats for the NDA, 25 to 28 for AAP, and 2 to 3 seats for Congress.
Polling concluded at 6 PM, and the voter turnout statistic of 57.89 percent was noted by 8:30 PM across 70 constituencies, which include 58 general and 12 reserved seats. The final turnout figure is still pending updates. Voters participated at 13,766 polling stations, with approximately 1.56 crore individuals eligible to cast their vote in the NCT. Election results are scheduled to be announced on February 8.
In the previous Delhi Assembly elections held in 2015, voter turnout was recorded at 67.12 percent, which decreased to 62.55 percent in the elections of 2020.
As of 8:30 PM, the highest turnout was reported in the north-east district at 63.83 percent. Other districts reported varying turnout rates: north-west (58.05 percent), Shahdara (61.35 percent), south (55.72 percent), south-east (53.77 percent), south-west (58.86 percent), west (57.42 percent), central (55.74 percent), east (60.11 percent), north (57.48 percent), and New Delhi (54.72 percent).
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is aiming for a third consecutive term, leaning on its track record of governance and welfare initiatives, whereas both the BJP and Congress are advocating for a change in leadership.
In the 70-member Delhi Assembly, a majority is reached with 36 seats. Currently, the AAP holds 62 seats, while the BJP claims 8, and Congress has none.
Key candidates in the election include AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, contesting from the New Delhi constituency against former BJP MP Parvesh Verma and Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit, the son of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Delhi Chief Minister Atishi is also in a competitive race against BJP’s Delhi unit president Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress’s Alka Lamba. A notable contest is occurring in Jangpura, where AAP’s Manish Sisodia is up against BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah and Congress’s Farhad Suri.
