The national capital, Delhi, is all set to go to polls tomorrow (Feb 5) with three major parties in the race for the Assembly election. The voters are all excited to cast their vote for their preferred party and candidate on Wednesday, deciding on who will take over control in Delhi.
All three parties, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress, have campaignedextensively and held massive rallies and roadshows to woo the voters.
Currently, as instructed by the Election Commission (EC), the mandatory 48-hour silence period is on and will continue till 6 pm, February 5.
The vote counting is scheduled to be held on February 8.
AAP, led by Arvind Kejriwal,dominated the Delhi polls in the last two elections held in 2015 and 2020. Before AAP came to power, Congress was governing Delhi for 15 years.
Voting timings
The polling stations will open at 7 am and are scheduled to close at 6:30 pm.
According to the official data, Delhi has around 1.56 crore voters, who are eligible to cast votes across 13,766 polling stations.
Also read: How to vote in Delhi Assembly election? A step-by-step guide for voters
The voters are required to carry their Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) or any other approved government-issued identification to the polling booth to be able to cast their votes.
It is going to be a triangular fight between the AAP, BJP, and Congress. All the parties have unveiled their respective manifestos with major promises to the people of Delhi.
A brief look at poll manifestos
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the ruling party in Delhi, released its manifesto titled "Kejriwal ki Guarantee" (Guarantee of Kejriwal) with 15 promises. The major ones being job creation, cash for women, and free medical treatment for senior citizens.
Also read: Delhi Assembly Polls: Election Commission hits back at AAP over 'pressure tactics' to malign ECI
AAP said if it gets another opportunity to rule Delhi, there would be free bus and Metro travel for students, and the party would construct world-class roads, among other things.
AAP, which has been ruling in the national capital for two consecutive terms, is looking for a hattrick.
The BJP unveiled its manifesto titled "Viksit Dilli Sankalp Patra". The party, under the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, promised Mahila Samriddhi Yojana (Women Prosperity Scheme), an expansion of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, and ₹10 lakh health insurance for senior citizens and economically disadvantaged families.
The saffron party has also promised to provide 50,000 government jobs for the youth. Further, it also said that the party will provide free electricity for up to 200 units, ₹500 subsidy on LPG cylinders along with giving free cylinders during festivals like Holi and Diwali.
Meanwhile, Congress has promised ₹2,500 per month for women under the Pyari Didi Yojana. Competing against BJP and AAP, the party also said that it would provide free electricity for up to 300 units if it formed a government in Delhi.
Moreover, to all the qualified jobless people, the party has promised a monthly support amount of ₹8,500.
Candidates in fray
According to the latest data, there are 699 candidates in this year's poll. The Delhi Assembly has 70 constituencies, and the term of this Assembly is set to conclude on Feb 23.
(With inputs from agencies)