The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced the schedule for Delhi Assembly election, which will be held on February 7 and counting of votes will take place on February 10.
With the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force. The notification for the election will be issued on January 14, while the last date for filing nomination papers is January 21. The scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on January 22.
As per ECI records, 1.30 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise for 70 Assembly seats in Delhi. During the Assembly polls in 2013, total 1.19 crore electors voted but the number of electors rose to 1.27 crore in the lok Sabha polls in May, 2014.
"The dissolution (of the Delhi Assembly) order of the President will expire on February 15 and in order to restore the mandate of the people as expeditiously as possible, the Commission has decided to go in for elections where the results will be known well before February 15," said Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath.
Though there are three main contenders — BJP, AAP and Congress — the real battle is between the BJP and the AAP. Slanging match among political parties has already begun and it is expected to intensify as the poll date comes closer.
The last Government in Delhi was headed by the AAP, but then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resigned after 49 days of assuming office. The AAP, which made its debut in Delhi in the 2013 Assembly polls, had won 28 seats, while the BJP had bagged 31 seats and the Congress 8. Two Independents, Shoaib Iqbal from Matia Mahal and Ramvir Shoukeen from Mundka, later joined the Congress.
It may be remembered that the AAP's gamble of quitting power in Delhi to focus on lok Sabha elections boomeranged and the party failed to win even a single lok Sabha seat in Delhi. Kejriwal, who had lost against Narendra Modi in Varanasi, admitted that it was a big mistake on his part to quit Government in Delhi and promised never to repeat it.
In a significant development, the Congress announced that former Union Minister and party general secretary Ajay Maken will lead the party's campaign. AICC sources said Maken would be the face of the party for the February 7 poll and may be among the three former MPs, including Krishna Tirath and Mahabal Mishra, who will be fielded by the party for the Assembly election.
It is noted that Delhi's political scene witnessed many ups and downs in 2013-2014. After the resignation of the AAP Government, it saw President's Rule for the first time in State history and Delhi Assembly remained under suspended animation for over eight months. The Delhi Assembly also witnessed a fractured mandate for the first time in the history of national Capital. The first quarter of the year started with Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP Government riding on high expectations and then fading away after Kejriwal resigned as the Chief Minister on February
14, 2014.
The mid 2014 witnessed the BJP sweeping all the seven MP seats in Delhi riding on the Modi wave. The 2014 lok Sabha elections were the first polls after delimitation of constituencies in Delhi. While the BJP won all the seven seats, the AAP was the runner-up at all seven, while the Congress stood at third position.
Three Congress candidates had forfeited their surety in the lok Sabha polls. BJP's domination was complete as it stood number one in 60 Assembly seats in Parliamentary elections.
In the fag end of 2014, BJP's successful show in Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir has boosted the morale of its cadre.
The AAP Government was in the eye of a storm on a number of issues like a midnight raid by Minister Somnath Bharti to bust an alleged sex and drug racket and then Kejriwal's 'dharna' seeking punishment against policemen who refused to take action in the case.
Kejriwal, along with six of his cabinet colleagues, and scores of supporters spent a night under the open sky outside Rail Bhavan, the venue of their protest, on January 20.
Delhi has been under President's rule since February 17 and the lieutenant Governor had not recommended the dissolution of the 70-member Assembly despite a suggestion by the outgoing Council of Ministers headed by Kejriwal.
The Union Cabinet in November this year recommended the dissolution of the Assembly. The decision was taken after leaders of the BJP, AAP and the Congress told the lieutenant-Governor that they wanted elections to end months of political uncertainty.