``We stand to lose the most as compared to other parties as youth are very much in our favour,'' said Mange Ram Garg, state BJP president. What he is also referring to is that potential voters from unauthorised colonies which were authorised days before the elections were announced.

Electoral rolls of these newly authorised areas were sent late to the EC as a massive induction drive involving school teachers and cadre workers was held. According to a party member, those turning 18 in these newly authorised colonies were believed to be a confirmed voters for the BJP.

Former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma had on various occasions pointed out that he would prefer the November deadline, enabling all the freshly-turned voters to be on the voting list.

The deadline implies that nearly one per cent of the total youth in the 70 assembly constituencies will not figure in their list. The party leadership talks about the work done for the youth, like special buses for women, approval of new colleges in Delhi, the encouragement to cottage industry and free education for all girls till class XII. In fact, some measures have been called populist by their critics like giving up to Rs 30,000 for all widows to set up employment units.

Their largess includes technical colleges set up with nominal fees, months before the elections were announced. The list includes setting up of sports complexes and stadia.

``Even our state BJP office is manned by the youth. We try and promote their cause as much as possible,'' said Garg. Senior leaders have made an effort not to contest to enable fresh blood to come into the party. It is known that most of the recruitments to the party are between the age of 16 and 25.

According to party sources, the announcement of elections has been a little earlier than expected and to enable to complete their electoral rolls, the election commission has announced the earliest possible deadline.

On the other hand, Ghanshyam Khohar, joint chief election commissioner, Delhi, says that it is mandatory that January 1 of the year in which the elections are to be held, is officially the cut-off date. The other options listed by the commission were July 1 and October 1. The Congress seems unfazed by this early deadline: ``It is for everybody and not partisan in any way. I don't think we stand to lose or gain,'' said Sheila Dikshit, president Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee.