The counting of votes for the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections began on Saturday morning across 70 constituencies under tight security arrangements. The early trends, based on postal ballots, indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading, posing a potential challenge to the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The final results will determine whether Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP retains control of the capital or if the BJP secures a historic victory after 26 years.
The counting is being conducted at 19 designated centers across Delhi, with a three-tier security system comprising 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel ensuring a smooth and fair process. Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer, Alice Vaz, confirmed that 5,000 trained officials, including counting supervisors, assistants, and micro-observers, are overseeing the process. Following standard election protocols, postal ballots were counted first, with electronic voting machine (EVM) results set to be released after 30 minutes. To enhance transparency, VVPAT slips from five randomly chosen polling stations per constituency are also being verified.
The voter turnout in Delhi was recorded at 60.54% on February 5, with 1.55 crore eligible voters casting their ballots. The AAP has been the dominant force in Delhi politics since 2015, when it secured a landslide victory with 67 out of 70 seats. In the 2020 elections, it won 62 seats, further solidifying its position. However, the BJP aims to stage a comeback, leveraging its national appeal and organizational strength. Meanwhile, the Congress, which ruled Delhi from 1998 to 2013, hopes to regain relevance after failing to win a single seat in the last two elections.
A victory for AAP would strengthen Kejriwal’s political influence and bolster his ambitions beyond Delhi, while a BJP win would signal a significant power shift in the capital, reshaping its political landscape. The final outcome is eagerly awaited, with counting continuing throughout the day.
