Delhi Assembly Elections: 1521 Nominations Filed, AAP, BJP, and Congress in Intense Battle

A total of 1521 nominations have been filed by 981 candidates for the upcoming 70-seat Delhi Assembly elections set for February 5. Amid political rifts and allegations, key candidates, including former CM Arvind Kejriwal, are vying for seats across various constituencies, signaling a fierce contest among AAP, BJP, and Congress.

Ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February 5, the Election Commission of India has reported the filing of 1521 nominations across 70 constituencies. These were submitted by 981 candidates, as announced by the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi's office.

Scrutiny of nomination papers is underway, with January 20 set as the deadline for withdrawing candidature. On the final day for filing nominations, January 17, a significant 680 papers were submitted, according to the ECI.

The New Delhi Assembly Constituency saw the highest nominations, with 29 candidates filing 40 papers. Contesting from here is ex-CM Arvind Kejriwal, facing Parvesh Verma of the BJP and Sandeep Dikshit from the Congress. In contrast, the Kasturba Nagar seat noted the least activity, with 6 candidates filing 9 nominations.

While Atishi battles from Kalkaji, political heavyweights like Ramesh Bidhuri from BJP and Alka Lamba from Congress are also contesting. Patparganj, with its 20 nominations for 11 candidates, now has AAP's Awadh Ojha running instead of former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who shifted focus to Jangpura.

Noteworthy numbers include Central Delhi with 154 nominations from 99 candidates and East Delhi submitting 119 nominations among 79 candidates. Major Delhi areas report varying nominations, showcasing a geographical spread of political engagement.

In light of the upcoming elections, AAP, BJP, and Congress are increasingly at odds, with the AAP and Congress competing separately despite being part of the INDIA alliance. Recent exchanges between Congress's Rahul Gandhi and AAP's Arvind Kejriwal highlight the underlying tensions.

The BJP-led NDA maintains unity, declaring candidates for nearly all seats while reserving two for allies. As Delhi approaches this electoral test, the political climate is charged, with the Congress aiming to regain previous successes against AAP's stronghold established in 2020.

(With inputs from agencies.)