BJP appoints Baijayant Panda as election in-charge for Delhi Assembly polls

The term of the current Delhi Assembly, led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will end February 15, 2025

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Baijayant Panda as the Election In-Charge for the Delhi State elections. Panda, who currently serves as the BJP’s National Vice President, will be responsible for overseeing the party’s electoral strategy. Atul Garg, a BJP Lok Sabha MP from Ghaziabad, has been named as Co-Incharge. Both appointments come into immediate effect.

Panda, a former Member of Parliament (MP), joined the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections after resigning from his previous party and stepping down as MP in 2018. Since joining the BJP, he has been entrusted with key roles, including his current position as national vice president and spokesperson for the party. Atul Garg, an MP representing Ghaziabad, will assist Panda in coordinating the BJP’s campaign efforts in the national capital.

Delhi Assembly election overview

Delhi has 70 Assembly constituencies, all of which are expected to go to polls sometime in February when the term of the current government expires. The tenure of the current Assembly will end on February 15, 2025. In the previous elections, held in February 2020, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured a decisive victory, winning 62 out of 70 seats and forming the government with Arvind Kejriwal serving his third term as chief minister.

However, last month, Kejriwal stepped down as Chief Minister in favour of his colleague Atishi, amid ongoing legal troubles linked to the Delhi liquor policy case. His resignation came after his release on bail. Before stepping down, Kejriwal had called for an early election, even before the end of the year.

The AAP, which made its electoral debut in Delhi in 2013, quickly rose to prominence. Initially forming a minority government with the support of the Congress party, Kejriwal’s first stint as Chief Minister lasted only 49 days due to his inability to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill, resulting in his resignation. The party made a strong comeback in 2015, winning 67 out of 70 seats, followed by another victory in 2020.

Assembly poll dates announced

Earlier today, the Election Commission of India announced polling dates for two other states today – Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Maharashtra, with 288 Assembly seats, will go to the polls on November 20. Jharkhand will conduct its elections in two phases, with the first phase on November 13 and the second on November 20. The votes for both states will be counted on November 23.