Delhi polls: High-octane campaign ends; AI spoofs, roadshows set stage for Feb 5 battle

The high-octane campaigning for the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections concluded at 6 pm on Monday, with big guns from all three major parties holding roadshows, public meetings, padayatras and bike rallies in a final push to sway voters.

As the canvassing wrapped up, the mandatory silence period began, which would remain in effect till voting begins at 7 am on Wednesday.

The Aam Aadmi Party remains confident of securing a third consecutive term, highlighting its governance record and welfare schemes.

On the last day of campaigning on Monday, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, along with Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, addressed three rallies, including one in Kalkaji, to mobilise supporters.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), aiming to reclaim power in Delhi after more than 25 years, held 22 roadshows and rallies across the city. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President J P Nadda, and several BJP chief ministers were at the forefront of the canvassing on Monday.

The Congress, seeking a revival after failing to win any seats in the last two elections, also intensified its efforts. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi held separate roadshows in Kalkaji and Kasturba Nagar, aiming to regain the party’s lost foothold in the capital.

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According to the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), 1.56 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots at 13,766 polling stations. Among them, 83.76 lakh are men, 72.36 lakh are women, and 1,267 are third-gender voters.

To ensure accessibility, 733 polling stations have been designated for persons with disabilities. The Election Commission has also introduced the Queue Management System (QMS) app, allowing voters to monitor crowd levels in real-time at polling stations.

In a significant move, 6,980 out of 7,553 eligible voters under the home voting facility for senior citizens and persons with disabilities have already cast their ballots. This service, which began on January 24, will continue until February 4.

The election battle has seen sharp political exchanges, with AI-generated spoofs, catchy slogans, and roadshows dominating the discourse.

While the AAP branded the BJP as the ”Bharatiya Jhootha Party” (party of liars) and ”Gali Galoch Party” (abusive party), Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the AAP as ”AAP-Daa” (disaster) and its leader Kejriwal as ”Ghoshna Mantri” (minister of announcements).

Congress, attempting to regain relevance, has called Kejriwal ”Farziwal” (Fake) and a ”Chhota Recharge” (small recharge) of Modi.

To maintain order, the Delhi Police has registered over 1,000 cases of alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) since its enforcement on January 7. The police have arrested 33,434 individuals for various legal violations during the election period.

In preparation for the elections, the Election Commission has deployed 220 companies of paramilitary forces, 19,000 home guards, and 35,626 Delhi Police personnel.

Additionally, over 21,500 ballot units and VVPATs have been prepared, ensuring accessibility, including provisions for dummy and Braille ballot papers.

The outcome of this fiercely contested election will determine whether the AAP continues its dominance, the BJP breaks its losing streak, or Congress makes a surprising comeback.

The final verdict will be revealed on February 8, as Delhi awaits the results of what has been one of its most high-stakes electoral battles.