2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly election

2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly election
Election name	2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly election
Country	India
Type	legislative
Previous election	2008 Delhi Legislative Assembly election
Previous year	2008
Next election	2015 Delhi Legislative Assembly election
Next year	2015
Seats for election	70 seats in the Delhi Legislative Assembly
Majority seats	36
Election date	4 December 2013
Turnout	66.02%

2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly election The 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly election was held on 4 December 2013 to elect members to the Delhi Legislative Assembly, resulting in a hung assembly that ended 15 years of uninterrupted rule by the Indian National Congress. The contest featured a three-way competition among the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Aam Aadmi Party, and the Indian National Congress, producing a minority government and a period of political transition in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Background

The election followed the 2008 contest that returned the Indian National Congress under Sheila Dikshit to power, and occurred against the backdrop of national debates involving the United Progressive Alliance, the National Democratic Alliance, and emergent anti-corruption movements linked to activists such as Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal. Political dynamics in the National Capital Territory of Delhi were influenced by earlier events including the 2011 India anti-corruption movement, the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party by former founding members from the India Against Corruption campaign, and policy controversies during the Dikshit administration that engaged institutions like the Election Commission of India and media outlets such as The Hindu and The Times of India.

Electoral System and Schedule

The election was conducted under the provisions administered by the Election Commission of India for 70 single-member constituencies using the First-past-the-post voting system. The schedule announced by the Election Commission of India set polling for 4 December 2013 with counting on 8 December 2013, and electoral rolls prepared under the authority of the Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi. Security and logistics involved coordination with the Delhi Police, the Ministry of Home Affairs (India), and local administrative bodies including the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.

Parties and Alliances

Major participants included the Bharatiya Janata Party led by figures such as Vijay Goel and national leaders like Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, the Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal and campaign strategists drawn from anti-corruption networks, and the Indian National Congress under incumbent Sheila Dikshit. Smaller parties and regional actors such as the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Samajwadi Party, and independents also contested seats, while national alliances including the United Progressive Alliance and the National Democratic Alliance influenced campaign messaging and candidate selection.

Campaign and Key Issues

The campaign saw intense focus on issues including the India anti-corruption movement, urban governance under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, public services controversies involving Delhi Metro expansion debates, and public health and sanitation linked to disputes with institutions such as the Delhi Jal Board and the Public Works Department (India). Security concerns involved the role of the Delhi Police and coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs (India), while economic and infrastructure themes referenced interactions with the Planning Commission of India and national policy debates featuring the United Progressive Alliance and the National Democratic Alliance. High-profile events and public debates featured personalities from the Aam Aadmi Party leadership including Arvind Kejriwal, Congress figures including Sheila Dikshit, and BJP campaigners connected to the Bharatiya Janata Party national leadership.

Opinion Polls and Predictions

Pollsters and media outlets such as NDTV, Times Now, India Today, and CNN-IBN published frequent opinion polls and exit polls in the run-up to polling day, with many analyses referencing voter surveys by organizations like the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies and think tanks connected to the Observer Research Foundation. Predictions varied, with some projections forecasting a strong showing for the Bharatiya Janata Party while others anticipated significant gains for the Aam Aadmi Party and challenges for the Indian National Congress incumbency; commentary also referenced past electoral behavior in the 2008 Delhi Legislative Assembly election and national trends from the 2013 Indian political context.

Results and Analysis

Counting on 8 December 2013 produced a fragmented outcome: the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the single largest party, the Aam Aadmi Party made a major electoral entry with substantial seat wins, and the Indian National Congress suffered significant losses that unseated Sheila Dikshit from prolonged leadership. The result triggered analyses by political scientists, journalists, and institutions such as the Centre for Policy Research and the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, which examined vote-share patterns, demographic voting behavior across constituencies like New Delhi (Delhi Assembly constituency), North Delhi, and South Delhi, and the impact of urban issues on electoral outcomes. Observers compared the Delhi outcome to contemporaneous trends in the 2013 Indian state elections and explored implications for national politics involving leaders such as Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal.

Aftermath and Government Formation

In the aftermath, the Bharatiya Janata Party declined to form a government despite being the largest party; Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party negotiated support from the Indian National Congress to establish a minority government, with Arvind Kejriwal sworn in as Chief Minister. The short-lived AAP administration and its governance challenges prompted judicial and legislative interactions with institutions such as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and reviews by the Delhi High Court, and set the stage for subsequent political developments culminating in the 2015 Delhi Legislative Assembly election.

Category:State Assembly elections in India Category:Elections in Delhi