New Delhi: The fate of 698 candidates, including 96 women candidates, hangs in the balance with counting of votes cast for Delhi’s 70 assembly seats set to begin at 8am. Postal ballots will be counted first, followed by electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Counting marks the end of a high-octane election with the BJP and the Congress looking to dislodge the ruling AAP in the bastion it first won in 2013. While the AAP banked on its ‘guarantees’ and track record of governance, the BJP and the Congress trained their guns at the Arvind Kejriwal-led party using graft allegations and unfulfilled promises as ammunition.
Stay tuned to ThePrint for the latest on the Delhi Assembly Election Results 2025.
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Delhi Election Results | LIVE UPDATES
9.00 am: BJP in the lead in 33 seats, AAP in 23 seats and the Congress ahead in 1, show early trends — CNN News18
8.45 am: Early trends have BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri in the lead in Kalkaji seat against AAP’s Atishi and Congress’s Alka Lamba.
8.30 am: Counting of EVM votes begins.
8.15 am: BJP candidate from New Delhi seat, Parvesh Verma says, “All exit polls are indicating a clear win for BJP. I have prayed to Lord Hanuman and Shani to help BJP form the government in Delhi so that, under the leadership of PM Modi, we can do good work in the national capital.” — PTI
Ahead of the assembly polls, Verma found himself at odds with the AAP over allegations of cash distribution to voters. Both AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Atishi accused Verma of handing out money in the New Delhi constituency, which Kejriwal represents. Verma denied the allegations, stating that while he was not distributing cash for votes, he was providing financial aid to those in need. Read ThePrint’s report on how the battle unfolded.
8.00 am: Counting of postal ballots begins.
7.45 am: AAP candidate from Greater Kailash, Saurabh Bharadwaj says, “Every attempt was made to remove AAP from government but the public’s blessings are with the AAP. I believe that the public is going to make Arvind Kejriwal the CM for the fourth time. In a few days, he will take oath as the CM. We are getting information from different areas that AAP will get a comfortable majority and make government…AAP will get a minimum 40-45 seats.” — ANI
7.30 am: In its Delhi manifesto, the BJP has promised to introduce ‘anti-Romeo’ squads, an initiative first launched in Uttar Pradesh under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in 2017. Over the years, the campaign has experienced several ups and downs. ThePrint’s Prashant Srivastava examines its impact in UP.
7.15 am: At least six exit polls released Wednesday gave the BJP an edge over the ruling AAP, while one other predicted a close contest between the incumbent and the primary challenger. The next day, two other exit polls (Axis My India and Today’s Chanakya) also predicted that the BJP could return to power in Delhi after a gap of nearly 27 years.
7 am: Polling for Delhi’s 70 assembly seats was held in a single phase at 13,766 polling stations on 5 February. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Delhi recorded a total voter turnout of 60.42 percent, with North-East district recording the highest turnout at 66.25 percent, and South-East recording the lowest at 56.16 percent.
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