A total of 699 candidates will contest the February 5 elections for the 70-member Delhi Assembly, reflecting a slight rise from the 672 candidates who participated in the 2020 polls.
The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer has reported that the high-profile New Delhi constituency, where AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is facing a tough competition from BJP's Parvesh Verma and Congress' Sandeep Dikshit, has the highest number of candidates, with 23 nominees.
Following New Delhi, Janakpuri has the second-highest number of candidates with 16, while Rohtas Nagar, Karawal Nagar, and Laxmi Nagar each have 15 contenders. On the other hand, Patel Nagar and Kasturba Nagar have the fewest candidates, with five each. Notably, in the 2020 elections, Patel Nagar, which is reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates, had the lowest number of contestants, with only four nominees.
Out of the 70 Assembly constituencies, 38 seats have fewer than 10 candidates. Key segments like Tilak Nagar, Mangolpuri, and Greater Kailash have six candidates each, while Chandni Chowk, Rajendra Nagar, and Malviya Nagar have seven nominees. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress are contesting in all 70 constituencies, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is fielding candidates in 68 seats, leaving two for its allies, the Janata Dal (United) and Loktantrik Jan Shakti Party.