Voter Turnout Hits 57.7% in Delhi Polls: Is the BJP Gaining Ground in 2025?
As voting for the 70-member Delhi Assembly continued on Wednesday, the voter turnout reached 57.70% by 5 p.m., with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) aiming for a fourth consecutive victory and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pushing for a return to power after 1998.
New Delhi: As voting for the 70-member Delhi Assembly continued on Wednesday, the voter turnout reached 57.70% by 5 p.m., with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) aiming for a fourth consecutive victory and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pushing for a return to power after 1998.
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Rising Voter Turnout Amid Allegations of Fake Voting
The turnout steadily increased throughout the day after a slow start. However, the election witnessed some controversy when allegations of a model code violation emerged from the Seelampur polling booth, where a bogus voter was caught attempting to cast a vote using someone else’s identity at Aryan Public School.
BJP candidate from Seelampur, Anil Gaur, accused AAP and Congress of bringing fake voters from neighboring Uttar Pradesh. The Delhi Police Special Commissioner, D.C. Srivastava, confirmed that two individuals had been detained in connection with alleged bogus voting, with investigations ongoing.
Key Constituencies and Voter Trends
By 5 p.m., Mustafabad had the highest turnout of 66.68%, closely followed by Seelampur at 66.41%. Other notable constituencies included:
- New Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal’s seat): 54.27%
- Greater Kailash: 52%
- Jungpura (Manish Sisodia’s seat): 55.23%
- Sangam Vihar: 57.41%
- Chhatarpur: 60.53%
While voter participation surged in several areas, some constituencies faced delays, with AAP MP Raghav Chadha raising concerns about obstacles to polling agents’ access in New Delhi.
Allegations and Counter-Allegations During Polling
AAP’s Jangpura nominee, Manish Sisodia, accused rival parties of distributing money to voters—a charge dismissed by police as unsubstantiated. Additionally, Union Minister Harsh Malhotra criticized AAP for allegedly trying to influence voters with goons and money ahead of the election.
The Delhi Police also seized Rs 23.76 lakh, six illegal firearms, and 4,119 liters of illegal liquor on the eve of the election, as part of efforts to ensure fair voting.
Prominent Leaders Cast Their Vote
Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP convenor and former Delhi CM, gave up his car and walked to his polling booth with his wife and parents, who were both in wheelchairs. BJP’s Parvesh Verma also participated in the polling after performing religious rituals on the Yamuna bank.
Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit voted at Rahim Khan Road and was seen accompanying other Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, to their respective polling booths.
Historical Context and Voter Turnout Comparisons
In the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, the turnout was 62.82%, lower than the 67.47% in 2015. In 2013, the voter turnout was 66.02%, reflecting a rise of 8.42% compared to 2008, which recorded a turnout of 57.6%.
In the 2020 elections, AAP won 62 out of 70 seats with a vote share of 53.57%, while BJP secured eight seats with 38.51%, and Congress received 4.26%.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 Delhi Assembly election continues to be an intense battle, with both AAP and BJP vying for dominance. As the day progresses, Delhi voters are making their voices heard, and with a turnout of 57.70% by 5 p.m., the race to control the Delhi Assembly is far from over. The final result, to be announced soon, will determine whether AAP can hold its reign or if the BJP will stage a comeback.
