In the upcoming Delhi assembly elections on February 5, a total of 699 candidates are in the race, with 96 of them being women. This marks a significant increase compared to the 2020 elections, where 76 women contested out of 672 candidates. As political parties focus on attracting women voters, the representation of women candidates has risen across the board.
Among the three major parties, both the BJP and AAP have fielded nine female candidates each, while the Congress has seven women nominees. All three parties have increased their number of women candidates compared to the 2020 Assembly polls.
Key women candidates in Delhi elections 2025
Prominent women candidates from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) include Chief Minister Atishi, Pooja Balyan, Pramila Tokas, and Rakhi Bidlani. AAP has also renominated Rakhi Bidlani, Pramila Tokas, Dhanwanti Chandela, Bandana Kumar, and Sarita Singh. New faces for AAP this time include Anjana Parcha and Pooja Balyan, wife of MLA Naresh Balyan, who is contesting from Uttam Nagar. Naresh Balyan was recently arrested over alleged ties to gangster Kapil Sangwan.
The BJP’s women candidates include Rekha Gupta, Poonam Sharma, Shikha Rai, and Priyanka Gautam. Congress has fielded seven women, with key nominees like Alka Lamba, Ariba Khan, Ragini Nayak, and Aruna Kumari.
Profiles of prominent women candidates in Delhi elections 2025
Atishi – AAP
Atishi, representing the Kalkaji constituency, won by a margin of 55,897 votes. With assets worth Rs 1,41,21,663, she has one criminal case registered against her. A graduate with a Master of Science degree from the University of Oxford, Atishi became Delhi’s Chief Minister in 2024, succeeding Arvind Kejriwal. She is only the third woman to hold the position, following Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit.
Alka Lamba – Congress
Alka Lamba is contesting against Delhi CM Atishi from the Kalkaji constituency. She started her political journey as a student leader with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and went on to become the President of the University of Delhi. According to My Neta data, Lamba has assets worth Rs 3,39,27,451 and no liabilities.
Rakhi Birla – AAP
Rakhi Birla contested from the Mangol Puri (SC) constituency, securing 74,154 votes. She holds a postgraduate degree in Mass Communication from the National Broadcasting Academy, Guru Jambeshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar. Birla declared assets worth Rs 76,421 and one criminal case against her.
Shikha Rai – BJP
Shikha Rai is contesting the Greater Kailash seat against Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj. She has assets worth Rs 6,38,80,133 and liabilities amounting to Rs 32,65,609. Rai holds an M.A. in English from Government College for Boys, Ludhiana (Punjab University, 1985), and an LL.B. from the Department of Law, Punjab University.
Bandana Kumari – AAP
Bandana Kumari won from the Shalimar Bagh constituency with 57,707 votes. A graduate from B.R. Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, her total assets were valued at Rs 9,22,31,723, while her liabilities stood at Rs 14,83,767 as per her 2020 declaration.
Preeti Tomar – AAP
Preeti Tomar, representing the Tri Nagar constituency, secured 58,504 votes. She declared assets of Rs 1,93,11,707 and liabilities of Rs 1,91,760. Tomar holds an MSc and BEd degree from Meerut University.
A Dhanwati Chandela A – AAP
A Dhanwati Chandela A from the Rajouri Garden constituency received 62,212 votes. She reported assets totaling Rs 56,90,40,449 and liabilities amounting to around Rs 98 lakh.
Ariba Khan – Congress
In the Okhla Assembly constituency, 31-year-old Ariba is running as a candidate for the Indian National Congress (INC). She is the daughter of prominent local politician Asif Mohd Khan and has dedicated much of her life to social activism, particularly in areas like education, healthcare, and women’s rights. Driven by a passion for community development, Ariba is focused on tackling local issues such as youth unemployment and improving infrastructure. As one of the youngest candidates in the Delhi 2025 elections, she brings a fresh perspective to the political landscape.
Raj Kumari Dhillon – AAP
Raj Kumari Dhillon contested from the Hari Nagar constituency, winning 58,087 votes. With a Bachelor of Arts degree from Syama Prasad Mukherjee College, Delhi University, Dhillon declared assets worth Rs 48,08,47,690 and liabilities of Rs 20,02,82,749.
Bhavna Gaur – AAP
Bhavna Gaur secured 92,775 votes from the Palam constituency. She holds a BA from the University of Delhi and a BEd from Maharishi Dayanand University. Gaur reported assets of Rs 14,27,686 and liabilities worth Rs 8,62,526.
Pramila Tokas – AAP
Pramila Tokas, contesting from the R K Puram constituency, secured 47,208 votes. Tokas has two criminal cases registered against her and declared assets of Rs 80,88,75,775, with liabilities amounting to Rs 11,75,03,156.
All about Delhi elections 2025
A total of 981 candidates had filed their nominations during the week-long window, which opened on January 10. After scrutiny on January 18 and the withdrawal deadline on January 20, the final list of candidates was confirmed. The elections will take place on February 5, with results to be announced on February 8.
