New Delhi [India]: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday assured measures to maintain fairness in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections by instructing the Cabinet Secretary to avoid Delhi-specific announcements in the Union Budget, scheduled for February 1.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, CEC Kumar stated:
“The Union Budget will come on February 1 and Delhi will vote on February 5. Today itself, we will issue a standing instruction to the Cabinet Secretary that there should be no Delhi-specific announcement in the Union budget that can disturb the level playing field. For pan-India, there is no problem. This is the practice always.”
The announcement comes as Delhi gears up for its assembly elections, with polling scheduled for February 5 and vote counting set for February 8.
Election Schedule and Model Code of Conduct
The last date for filing nominations is January 17, followed by scrutiny on January 18. Candidates can withdraw their nominations by January 20. With the declaration of the election dates, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into effect and will remain in force until the completion of the election process.
The final voter list for the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, published on January 6, records a total of 1,55,24,858 registered voters in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, reflecting a net increase of 1.09 percent.
Political Landscape in Delhi
The Congress party, which held power in Delhi for 15 years, has struggled in recent elections, failing to win a single seat in the last two assembly polls. In contrast, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demonstrated dominance in the 2020 elections, securing 62 of the 70 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win only eight.
The timing of the Union Budget and its potential influence on voter sentiment remains a sensitive issue, and the Election Commission’s directive aims to ensure impartiality and fairness as Delhi’s electorate prepares to cast their votes.