Tue Jan 07 12:45:38 UTC 2025: ## Delhi Assembly Elections Set for February 5th: AAP Faces Triangular Contest
**New Delhi, [Date of Publication]** – Delhiites will head to the polls on Wednesday, February 5th, in a single-phase election, marking the first major electoral battle of 2025. The election will see a fierce three-way contest between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress, with the results to be announced on February 8th. By-elections in Uttar Pradesh’s Milkipur and Tamil Nadu’s Erode (East) will also be held concurrently.
The Election Commission’s announcement triggers the Model Code of Conduct. The AAP, aiming for a third consecutive victory, faces accusations of corruption, a major theme in the BJP and Congress campaigns. The BJP, after a 26-year absence from power in Delhi, hopes to capitalize on this, while the Congress, contesting alone after an alliance with AAP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, seeks to regain its footing.
AAP is relying heavily on its welfare schemes targeting women and the elderly, including a recent promise of ₹18,000 monthly compensation to temple priests and gurdwara granthis, a move seen as a response to BJP’s Hindu nationalist appeal. The BJP, buoyed by recent electoral successes, is aggressively targeting AAP, dubbing it “AAPda” (disaster) and highlighting alleged corruption scandals involving Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other senior AAP leaders. The arrests of several AAP leaders by central agencies have provided significant ammunition to the BJP and Congress.
While AAP and BJP have launched full-fledged campaigns, Congress appears slower to mobilize, although it recently unveiled its “Pyari Didi Yojana,” promising ₹2,500 monthly assistance to women, directly challenging AAP’s similar scheme. The upcoming election is considered a crucial test for all three parties.
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