Delhi election campaign ends: AAP, BJP, Congress make final push before Feb 5 vote

The campaign for the Delhi Assembly election came to an end, with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) coming into effect after 5 pm on Monday. The city will go to the polls on 5 February, bringing months of intense electioneering to a close.

This election cycle has been marked by aggressive campaigning, AI-generated memes, and sharp political exchanges. Parties have competed to win over voters with promises, including freebies for women and young people.

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Heavyweight campaigners and star power

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress deployed their top leaders to lead the charge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with senior ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Piyush Goyal, spearheaded the BJP’s electioneering. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also played a key role, as did former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, and other chief ministers from BJP- and Congress-ruled states.

Celebrities also joined the fray, with cricketer Harbhajan Singh and Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha adding star power to AAP’s campaign.

Key issues dominating the election discourse included financial assistance for women, corruption allegations linked to the liquor policy and ‘Sheesh Mahal’ controversy, unemployment, water supply and sewage issues, air pollution, the Yamuna’s condition, and free health insurance.

Final day of campaigning

The final day saw a flurry of activities. The BJP organised 22 roadshows and rallies across Delhi, while PM Modi released a video of his interaction with students.

BJP’s New Delhi candidate, Parvesh Verma, announced that if his party wins, Talkatora Stadium would be renamed after “Maharishi Valmiki.” He further stated that all major airports, stadiums, and significant buildings should be named after a “Bhagwan or a martyr” who sacrificed their life for the nation.

Amit Shah also took a swipe at AAP, claiming that states with a “double-engine BJP government” have seen progress in the last ten years, whereas Delhi has fallen behind due to AAP’s confrontations with the central government.

Meanwhile, AAP’s campaign ended with Arvind Kejriwal holding public meetings in Chhatarpur and Kalkaji and releasing a video alleging attempts to manipulate Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). AAP’s Jangpura candidate, Manish Sisodia, accused the BJP of using “threats” and “hooliganism” before the election. “The public will respond through their votes and re-elect Kejriwal as chief minister,” he stated.

The Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 years between 1998 and 2013, appeared reinvigorated in its campaign efforts.

With just hours left before voting, the Delhi election office has enforced restrictions, prohibiting the public display of election material through films, television, or other electronic media, as well as public meetings, in the 48-hour period before polling ends.

Delhi’s 70-member Assembly will be decided on 5 February, with results set to be announced on 8 February. In the outgoing House, AAP holds 62 seats, while BJP has eight.

According to the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), 1.56 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots at 13,766 polling stations. Among them, 83.76 lakh are men, 72.36 lakh are women, and 1,267 are third-gender voters. This year, 699 candidates are contesting, compared to 672 in 2020.

(With inputs from agencies)