New Delhi: Mayawati, the leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), said on Tuesday that the party would run independently in the next Delhi Assembly elections, fully prepared and strong.

BSP leader Mayawati posted on the social networking platform X (previously Twitter): “On February 5, 2025, the Delhi Assembly general election will be conducted in one phase. We applaud the Election Commission’s statement in this respect. The BSP is fighting this election independently, well prepared and strong. In this election, it is anticipated that the party would do well.

Mayawati underlined the party’s commitment to the care of the underprivileged and marginalized groups in society and emphasized the significance of elections in maintaining democracy.

“Elections are the backbone of democracy, and as a party dedicated to the upliftment of the marginalized, we expect the Election Commission to ensure that these elections are free from communalism and other negative influences, including the misuse of government machinery,” she said in a post on X.

The BSP chief also urged citizens to vote sensibly for BSP candidates and to resist being influenced by alluring promises from other parties.

“It is a call to voters to exercise caution while casting their ballots and to support only the BSP party candidates who are committed to the public interest and welfare, rather than being influenced by any party’s alluring promises. According to her post, “This is where the public and national interest lies and is safe.”

In front of AAP MP Sanjay Singh, former BSP leader Madan Mohan and his wife Sudeshwati joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) earlier on Tuesday.

Jasvir Singh Garhi, the former head of the BSP’s Punjab chapter, also joined the AAP on January 1.

The Delhi Legislative Assembly has been informed of the polling dates by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

February 5 is the day of the single-phase election, while February 8 is the date of the vote count. Nominations must be submitted by January 17. The nominations will be examined on January 18. However, January 20 is the deadline for withdrawing one’s candidacy.

While the AAP, which is seeking to win power for the third time in a row, is emphasizing its accomplishments in the fields of health and education, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has charged the AAP leaders with corruption and poor administration.

Parvesh Verma, a former MP and the son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, has been put up by the BJP to run against Arvind Kejriwal for the New Delhi seat. With Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit, running for the same seat, the Congress has also joined the race.

In the Kalkaji seat, the Congress has put forth former MLA Alka Lamba, while the BJP has put in former MP Ramesh Bidhuri to challenge Delhi CM Atishi.

The Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 years in a row, has lost both of the most recent assembly elections and has not been able to secure any seats. In contrast, the BJP only received eight seats in the 2020 assembly elections, while the AAP won 62 of 70 seats.