Campaigning for Delhi Assembly elections ends

THE HIGH-PITCHED campaign for the Delhi Assembly elections which saw the AAP, BJP and Congress raising the stakes with various poll sops and schemes drew to a close on Monday.

- Mallica Joshi & Damini Nath

The 70 Assembly constituencies in the Capital will vote on Wednesday, and the results will be declared on February 8. The AAP is seeking a third consecutive term while the BJP is hoping for a comeback after 27 years.

The Congress, which dominated Delhi's political landscape for a decade-and-a-half before the AAP burst onto the scene, is looking to regain its foothold.

In the run-up to the polls, all three parties announced a slew of poll sops.

Amid criticism over basing its governance model on freebies, the AAP doubled down and announced an increase from ₹1,000 to ₹2,100 per month in its promised Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Raashi scheme, free treatment for all above the age of 60 years in empanelled private hospitals, and a monthly honorarium of ₹18,000 to pujaris and granthis.

The BJP announced monthly financial assistance of ₹2,500 for women beneficiaries, 50,000 government jobs, and 20 lakh