Delhi Assembly election will be held on February 8 in single-phase, and counting will be done on February 11, with the results to be declared on the same day, Chief Election Commissioner, Sunil Arora informed on Monday.
Notification of election will be released on January 14, while the last date of filing of nominations of candidates is on January 21.
“Candidates can withdraw their nominations till 24 January and the scrutiny of the nominations will be done on January 27,” said Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora at a press conference in Delhi.
Delhi Assembly will go on polls on February 8 in single phase while the counting of votes and declaration of results will be done on February 11,” he told.
“Model Code of Conduct will be applicable in the national capital with immediate effect,” ECI said.
As per the ECI, total electors in NCT of Delhi as on January 6, 2019are 1,46,92,136 and the polling will be held at 13,750 polling stations.
Sunil Arora, whose term is ending on February 22, also told that the meeting regarding the election with Chief Secretary and senior officials was held last month.
Arora announced that pick and drop facilities for senior citizens who would like to vote will be made available on the day of polling. For people with disabilities and senior citizens above the age of eighty, postal ballot will be made available.
Teams for monitoring the media will also be formed, he informed.
On the current situation in Delhi due to anti-CAA protests, CEC said, “We are hopeful that situation will be under control and conducive for polls. If there is an extraordinary situation, there is always an option of deferring the polls.”
“Constitution empowers the ECI to take the call,” he added.
For the Delhi Assemnly election, mainly three political [parties are in fray namely AAP, Congress and BJP.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, who is also the Delhi BJP Assembly poll in-charge, said, “Delhi election will be fought on basis of performance, not lies.”
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari who was also addressing the media along with Javadekar also expressed hope of victory in the Delhi Assembly election.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also took to Twitter on the announcement of dates of election and said, “Ye chunav kaam par hoga (This election will be contested on work).”
ये चुनाव काम पर होगा
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 6, 2020
In 2015, AAP emerged with 54.3 per cent of the vote share while BJP managed 32.3 per cent and Congress with 9.7 per cent. Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP bagged 67 out of 70 seats leaving BJP on 3 and ruling Congress on zero.
Two years ago in 2013, when the AAP firstly contested the election, it won 28 seats leaving everyone surprised as its victory was not much anticipated back then. It formed the government with Congress, which bagged 8 seats, against who it contested the election. The duo edged past the BJP’s haul of 32 seats.