In just a few hours, the results for the Delhi Assembly elections held on February 5, 2025, will be revealed. A crucial question looms: who will form the government? Will the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) return to power for the fourth time, or will they lose their position to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which recently swept all parliamentary seats in the national capital during the Lok Sabha elections? Exit polls largely indicate that the BJP could reclaim power, with projections as high as 61 seats, while AAP’s range of 10 to 44 seats reflects a more vulnerable position.
However, some poll analysts believe otherwise, adding an intriguing twist to the situation. They suggest that the BJP might prefer to keep AAP in power as a strategic move to counter the Congress, perceived as its main rival on political front. The cite latest Haryana assembly polls. The BJP had won Haryana against the Congress by a slender margin of less than one per cent. No doubt, it was a record third term in Haryana for the BJP.
Moreover, political experts argue that this arrangement of allowing the AAP party on the hot seat in the national capital could also benefit the BJP in the long run, allowing them to maintain control over key administrative functions through the Lieutenant Governor and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, led by Amit Shah. This could enable the BJP to influence governance in Delhi while keeping AAP as a manageable counterbalance to Congress.
Supporting their claims, analysts note that the BJP’s central leadership has remained silent on naming a Chief Minister, which could indicate its strategy to let AAP hold the fort in Delhi.
According to the Election Commission, voter turnout for the Delhi elections was 60.54% on Wednesday. On counting day, Special Commissioner of Police Devesh Chandra Srivastava announced that stringent security measures are in place. Only authorized personnel will be allowed inside the counting centers, where the use of mobile phones is strictly prohibited.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virender Sachdeva has claimed that his party will win around 50 seats. In contrast, the Aam Aadmi Party has dismissed the exit poll figures, asserting that it will form the government again, with its convenor Arvind Kejriwal becoming Chief Minister for the fourth time.
