New Delhi election result LIVE: AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who was leading earlier, is now trailing by 238 votes against BJP’s Parvesh Verma after the sixth round of counting.

Meanwhile, BJP is leading in 43 out of 70 assembly constituencies, while AAP is ahead in 27. Congress has yet to secure a lead in any seat.

The New Delhi constituency is witnessing an intense electoral contest with key candidates including Arvind Kejriwal from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Sandeep Dikshit representing the Indian National Congress (INC). Counting of votes in the crucial constituency, along with 69 others for the Delhi Assembly election, began at 8 am.

According to the Election Commission of India, the constituency recorded a voter turnout of 56.41 per cent. The outcome of this crucial seat will become clear as the votes are counted.

The counting of votes for the Delhi Assembly elections is being held today, determining whether AAP secures a fourth consecutive term or if the BJP returns to power in the national capital after over 26 years.

Key candidates (New Delhi constituency)- Leading/Trailing

Arvind Kejriwal (AAP) – 14,226 votes – Trailing

Parvesh Verma (BJP) – 14,464 votes – Leading

Sandeep Dikshit (Congress) – 2,393 votes – Trailing

Who won the 2020 election?

• In the 2020 Assembly elections, Arvind Kejriwal secured victory for AAP by defeating BJP’s Sunil Kumar Yadav with a margin of 21,687 votes.

• The New Delhi Assembly segment falls under the broader New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, where BJP’s Bansuri Swaraj won decisively in the 2024 general elections, defeating AAP’s Somnath Bharti by 78,370 votes.

• Kejriwal had held this seat since 2013 when he made headlines by defeating Congress veteran Sheila Dikshit by over 25,000 votes. In 2015, he retained the seat with a lead of nearly 32,000 votes over BJP’s Nupur Sharma and Congress’ Kiran Walia.

• Historically, Congress has won the seat four times since 1977, while AAP has emerged victorious three times.

How have the BJP and Congress performed over the years?

• The BJP, which has not won the New Delhi seat since 1977, aims to make a strong statement by defeating former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in this high-profile contest.

• For the Congress, the battle holds symbolic significance, as Sandeep Dikshit’s mother, former CM Sheila Dikshit, lost this seat to Kejriwal. Despite Congress’ past alliances with AAP, Dikshit has been a vocal critic of Kejriwal and will be looking to avenge his mother’s defeat.

• A victory for the BJP in the Delhi Assembly elections would mark its return to power in the capital after more than 26 years, ending AAP and Kejriwal’s decade-long dominance that the party has been aiming to break.

• Meanwhile, the Congress, which governed Delhi for 15 consecutive years until 2013, is working to regain lost ground after failing to secure a single seat in the last two elections.

Delhi election result today LIVE: BJP took quick lead within minutes the commencement of counting of votes by the Election Commission of India and was close to the majority mark of 36 in early trends.

Counting of votes for the Delhi assembly election 2025 began at 8 am, with the top contenders Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hoping to form government in the capital city. Voting for all 70 seats of Delhi assembly took place on Wednesday, February 5.

The election results can be tracked on https://results.eci.gov.in from 8 am onwards.

Delhi assembly election results 2025 LIVE | Five points

-Delhi election results | Early trends: As Election Commission of India began counting of votes at 8 am with postal ballots, the BJP raced ahead and was leading on over 30 seats within the first 30 minutes and crossed the majority mark of 36 in early leads later. These, however, are very early trends. The AAP was ahead on over 20 seats at 9 am.

-Delhi election results | Counting time: The counting of votes for Delhi assembly election 2025 began at 8 am today, February 8, 2025. Voting for Delhi assembly poll 2025 took place in a single phase on February 5.

-Delhi voter turnout: According to the EC figures, the approximate voter turnout after the Delhi assembly election stood at 60.54 per cent, with the North East district recording the highest voting percentage – 66.25 per cent. Lowest polling was recorded in the South East Delhi district at 56.40 per cent.

-Delhi election | Key parties: The incumbent AAP, BJP and the Congress are the main contenders of Delhi poll 2025. AAP is eyeing a third straight full term in Delhi. AAP, which has dominated the last two assembly polls in Delhi, won 62 out of 70 seats in the 2020 election, while the BJP won eight. Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 years, failed to open its account in the last two assembly polls and is predicted to perform similarly this time as well.

-Delhi exit poll projections: Exit poll results for Delhi election were released on Wednesday evening, after the voting for the assembly poll concluded. Most exit polls projected a comfortable win for BJP in the Delhi assembly election, while the incumbent AAP is predicted to be failing to hit a hattrick. Exit polls projected another rout for Congress.

Track the election results in Hindi here

The votes will be counted at 19 counting centres across the national capital to determine the future of 698 candidates who were in the fray in what was the most closely fought assembly elections in years.

“We have made robust security arrangements [for counting day]. Only authorised personnel will be allowed inside the counting centres, where the use of mobile phones will be strictly prohibited,” special commissioner of police Devesh Chandra Srivastva said.

Around 5,000personnel will be on duty to ensure free-and-fair counting. The eve of the counting day was marked by rising political tensions in the Capital as all parties traded charges of irregularities.

Almost every exit poll has predicted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gaining in strength and might be headed for a victory after 27 years by ending the stranglehold of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the national capital. They were unanimous in terms of the larger direction of the outcome — they forecast that the BJP would improve dramatically on its 2020 showing and there would be big erosion in the AAP’s voter base.

In the 2020 assembly elections, the AAP won 62 seats and a vote share of 53.5%, the BJP won eight seats and 38.5% votes, and the Congress zero seats and 5% of the votes.

All but two exit polls predicted that the BJP will either clinch an outright majority in the assembly of 70 seats or come tantalisingly close to it. All but three exit polls suggested that the party, which last won the assembly elections in the Capital in 1993, will make a convincing comeback and trounce the AAP in many of the latter’s strongholds.

If these numbers hold on Saturday, it will mean that the BJP maintained the momentum of the 2024 general elections when it swept all seven parliamentary seats in the Capital, and of its historic victory in Maharashtra three months ago. It will also mean that after two consecutive defeats in assembly elections in Delhi, the BJP finally forged a winning formula to win over a city where voters regularly switch preferences between national and state elections.

“People want change and a corruption-free government. ‘AAPda’ is going, and the BJP is coming to power in Delhi. On February 8, our victory will be more spectacular then what exit polls have shown,” Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said.

If these numbers tally on counting day, it will also hold bad news for the fledgling party that was born out of an anti-corruption cauldron in 2011 but has struggled to shake off mounting charges of corruption in recent years, especially against party chief and main vote catcher, former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. It will also mean that the party that once fancied itself as a national player will only be left with control of Punjab amid erosion in its traditional vote banks and a crisis potentially confronting the party.

To be sure, exit polls have predicted a certain victory for the BJP, with margins varying. They predicted the AAP to secure any between 11 and 30 seats, with a prediction of 0 to 3 seats for the Congress.

“Under Kejriwal’s guidance, all candidates presented their ground reports, which indicated that AAP is set to win over 50 seats decisively with a close contest in seven-eight seats,” senior AAP leader Gopal Rai told reporters.

The assembly polls in Delhi were the first electoral battle in 2025 and saw a closely fought campaign that was clearly divided on lines of class and gender, and largely stayed away from communal issues.

Despite the modest size of the electorate, Delhi has always commanded outsized heft on the national political stage due to the prestige associated with ruling the Capital and the fact that its population reflects the diversity of broader national demographics. But over the past five years, unprecedented acrimony between the elected state government and the lieutenant governor (LG) derailed local governance and plunged the Capital into a morass of toxic air, crumbling infrastructure, rising crime and policy dysfunction.

The key to the outcome in Delhi will be demographics such as women, the poor, marginalised castes and middle-class colonies. Over the last 10 years, the AAP has maintained a stranglehold on the first three groups due to its governance delivery and welfare promises while the fourth is a loyal BJP voter base. This time, in fiercely fought elections, both major parties have made a play for these swing voters.

Among the issues that are likely to play on the voters’ minds, welfare, corruption, the condition of civic infrastructure and gang-related crimes. But these elections will also bookend a bruising five years for the Capital, which has been beset by communal strife, crime, infrastructure collapse and repeated clashes between two arms of the government that has hamstrung Delhi.

Mumbai: Amid growing concerns over dwindling international support for queer rights, a study has highlighted significant gaps in funding for India’s LGBTQIA+ community. With an estimated queer population of 14 crore, India receives less than 1% of global LGBTQIA+ funding. Domestically, only one of India’s top 50 donors explicitly supports queer causes, shows the report titled ‘Against All Odds – Advancing Equity for India’s LGBTQIA+ Communities’.
The study by Dasra, a non-profit, was released at the launch of the Pride Fund, India’s first dedicated LGBTQIA+ philanthropy fund, on Feb 4. Founded by three prominent LGBTQIA+ leaders — Radhika Piramal, executive director of VIP Industries and trustee at Dasra UK; Keshav Suri, executive director of Lalit Suri Hospitality Group and founder of the Keshav Suri Foundation; and Parmesh Shahani, head of Godrej DEI Lab — the Pride Fund aims to bridge the funding gap in queer philanthropy in India.
With an initial corpus of Rs 2 crore, the fund, anchored by Godrej DEI Lab and Dasra, will support eight queer-led NGOs across India: Payana, Chhattisgarh Mitwa Sankalp Samiti, Ya All, Basera Samajik Sansthan, Deepshikha Samiti, Vikalp, Sappho for Equality, and Karna Subarna Welfare Society. These organisations were shortlisted from 50 applicants, with 29 submitting programme proposals.
“The LGBTQIA+ community in India is running on fumes,” said Piramal, pointing to Dasra’s report, which found that in 2021-22, India received just $2 million in foreign funding for queer communities — less than 1% of total global LGBTQIA+ funding. Based on the Global Resources Report: Govt & Philanthropic Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Communities (2021-2), the study revealed that South Asia received only 23% of global queer funding, marking a 29% decline from the previous period. In contrast, the Asia-Pacific region saw a 63% rise in queer funding, yet India received just 5% of the total allocated to the region.
While 59% of queer funding in India comes from international donors, only 43% of nonprofits working in the space are eligible to receive foreign contributions. The rest lack Foreign Contribution Regulation Act registration. “Queer-led NGOs are often the only lifeline for vulnerable individuals, yet they remain desperately underfunded,” Piramal noted. “With international aid at risk of drying up, Indian corporates and foundations must step up to fill this gap.”
Despite the growing discourse on inclusivity, grassroots organisations — especially in non-metro areas — continue to struggle with access to funds. Only 27% of LGBTQIA+ NGOs have a national presence, leaving many underserved regions without adequate support. Regional funders in Asia-Pacific contributed only 14% to queer philanthropy in 2021-22. Dasra’s survey of India’s top 50 funders found that they contributed Rs 79 billion to philanthropy in 2023, with health and education being the primary focus areas.
Despite some funders contributing to LGBTQIA+ causes, only two explicitly prioritised queer issues, while others provided sporadic support when these issues aligned with their broader goals, finds the report. “Many domestic funders lack awareness or understanding of LGBTQIA+ issues, and socio-political factors may lead to hesitation in supporting queer causes,” says the report, pointing out that the dispersed nature of the community and limited visibility pose challenges in attracting funding. “Funders, especially CSR donors, often prefer projects with large-scale, immediate impact, which can be difficult for organisations working with scattered, marginalised communities,” the report noted. “Local philanthropists and foundations may not be sufficiently supporting LGBTQIA+ issues, possibly due to social, cultural, or political reasons,” the report observed.
Mumbai: Amid growing concerns over dwindling international support for queer rights, a study has highlighted significant gaps in funding for India’s LGBTQIA+ community. With an estimated queer population of 14 crore, India receives less than 1% of global LGBTQIA+ funding. Domestically, only one of India’s top 50 donors explicitly supports queer causes, shows the report titled ‘Against All Odds – Advancing Equity for India’s LGBTQIA+ Communities’.
The study by Dasra, a non-profit, was released at the launch of the Pride Fund, India’s first dedicated LGBTQIA+ philanthropy fund, on Feb 4. Founded by three prominent LGBTQIA+ leaders — Radhika Piramal, executive director of VIP Industries and trustee at Dasra UK; Keshav Suri, executive director of Lalit Suri Hospitality Group and founder of the Keshav Suri Foundation; and Parmesh Shahani, head of Godrej DEI Lab — the Pride Fund aims to bridge the funding gap in queer philanthropy in India.
With an initial corpus of Rs 2 crore, the fund, anchored by Godrej DEI Lab and Dasra, will support eight queer-led NGOs across India: Payana, Chhattisgarh Mitwa Sankalp Samiti, Ya All, Basera Samajik Sansthan, Deepshikha Samiti, Vikalp, Sappho for Equality, and Karna Subarna Welfare Society. These organisations were shortlisted from 50 applicants, with 29 submitting programme proposals.
“The LGBTQIA+ community in India is running on fumes,” said Piramal, pointing to Dasra’s report, which found that in 2021-22, India received just $2 million in foreign funding for queer communities — less than 1% of total global LGBTQIA+ funding. Based on the Global Resources Report: Govt & Philanthropic Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Communities (2021-2), the study revealed that South Asia received only 23% of global queer funding, marking a 29% decline from the previous period. In contrast, the Asia-Pacific region saw a 63% rise in queer funding, yet India received just 5% of the total allocated to the region.
While 59% of queer funding in India comes from international donors, only 43% of nonprofits working in the space are eligible to receive foreign contributions. The rest lack Foreign Contribution Regulation Act registration. “Queer-led NGOs are often the only lifeline for vulnerable individuals, yet they remain desperately underfunded,” Piramal noted. “With international aid at risk of drying up, Indian corporates and foundations must step up to fill this gap.”
Despite the growing discourse on inclusivity, grassroots organisations — especially in non-metro areas — continue to struggle with access to funds. Only 27% of LGBTQIA+ NGOs have a national presence, leaving many underserved regions without adequate support. Regional funders in Asia-Pacific contributed only 14% to queer philanthropy in 2021-22. Dasra’s survey of India’s top 50 funders found that they contributed Rs 79 billion to philanthropy in 2023, with health and education being the primary focus areas.
Despite some funders contributing to LGBTQIA+ causes, only two explicitly prioritised queer issues, while others provided sporadic support when these issues aligned with their broader goals, finds the report. “Many domestic funders lack awareness or understanding of LGBTQIA+ issues, and socio-political factors may lead to hesitation in supporting queer causes,” says the report, pointing out that the dispersed nature of the community and limited visibility pose challenges in attracting funding. “Funders, especially CSR donors, often prefer projects with large-scale, immediate impact, which can be difficult for organisations working with scattered, marginalised communities,” the report noted. “Local philanthropists and foundations may not be sufficiently supporting LGBTQIA+ issues, possibly due to social, cultural, or political reasons,” the report observed.
Language barriers also create hurdles. “Proposals for funding often need to be written in English, which poses a significant challenge for grassroots activists,” said Karnataka-based trans activist Chandini. Given India’s large population—18% of the global demographic—and the pressing challenges faced by its LGBTQIA+ community, addressing the funding gap is crucial, say activists.
Dr Aqsa Shaikh, one of India’s first trans women doctors, pointed to the lack of budget allocation for trans welfare in the recent Union Budget and underscored the need for sustained funding to support initiatives like Garima Greh, shelter homes for trans persons. Others emphasised the need for broader social inclusion. “Inclusion isn’t charity, it’s a necessity,” said Suri.

The summoning of Bangladesh’s acting high commissioner Mohammad Nural Islam by the external affairs ministry was apparently a response to the calling in of India’s acting envoy by the foreign ministry in Dhaka on Thursday to protest against “false and fabricated” statements by former premier Sheikh Hasina, currently in self-exile in India.

Islam was summoned to South Block at 5 pm and told it is “regrettable that regular statements made by Bangladesh authorities continue to portray India negatively, holding us responsible for internal governance issues”, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

The Indian side contended that Dhaka’s stance was responsible for bilateral relations being at a low point. “These statements by Bangladesh are in fact responsible for the persistent negativity,” the statement said.

Islam was also told that “India desires a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh”, and this has been reiterated several times in recent high-level meetings.

Also Read: Bangladesh’s interim government vows to contain rising violence amid turmoil

In a response to Bangladesh’s protest on Thursday about Hasina’s remarks made during an online speech, the external affairs ministry said her comments were “made in her individual capacity in which India has no role to play”. The statement added: “Conflating this with the Government of India’s position is not going to help add positivity to bilateral relations.”

While the Indian government “will make efforts for a mutually beneficial relationship”, it expects Bangladesh to “reciprocate similarly without vitiating the atmosphere”, the statement added.

In online speeches on Wednesday and Thursday, Hasina launched scathing attacks on Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, and accused him of indulging in a power grab and conspiring to kill her and her sister Sheikh Rehana.

Hasina made the speech on Wednesday as a massive mob began demolishing the historic residence of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, in the heart of Dhaka. The interim government sought to blame Hasina for the violence, saying people were offended by her “provocative speech”.

Following the demolition of Rahman’s home in the central Dhanmondi neighbourhood of Dhaka, protesters attacked and torched the homes of leaders of Hasina’s Awami League party and demolished or defaced murals of Rahman were demolished across Bangladesh on Thursday and Friday.

When foreign secretary Vikram Misri was asked at a media briefing about the violence in Bangladesh and a reported threat to the Indian mission in Dhaka, he described the demolition of Rahman’s home as “unfortunate” and said: “We would also like to point out that the safety of diplomatic premises is the responsibility of the host government and I have no doubt that the Bangladesh authorities are fully aware of their responsibilities.”

Asked if the situation in Bangladesh will figure at meetings during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US next week, Misri said, “There will be discussions on the regional and international situation. I would imagine this might be one of the issues that will come up.”

The home of Awami League presidium member Sheikh Selim in Banani area of Dhaka was set on fire on Friday, while the house of Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the Awami League and a former minister, in Noakhali region was ransacked and burnt on Thursday.

In Rajshahi, about 100 protesters set the three-storey home of former deputy foreign minister Shahriar Alam on fire, while a mob torched the home of Awami League leader Abu Sayeed in Pabna on Thursday.

Interim government head Yunus responded to the violence on Friday by calling on all Bangladeshi citizens to “immediately restore complete law and order” and to ensure there are no further attacks on properties associated with the family of Hasina and politicians of the Awami League.

The “anger of the activists who have attacked properties is understandable” but all citizens should abide by the law, said a statement issued by Yunus’s spokesperson Shafiqul Alam. The statement again sought to blame the violence on Hasina, saying activists were outraged she “continues to try to mobilise her militants” from “her refuge in New Delhi”.

The interim government is working with security forces to preserve law and order and to protect the lives and property of all Bangladeshis, the statement said. Law enforcement will take strict action against anyone creating chaos and anarchy and the interim government will bring those responsible to justice, the statement said.