Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to win an election in the Delhi capital territory, TV exit polls projected on Wednesday, in a rebound after its surprisingly poor showing in the 2024 General Election.
The BJP was predicted to win an absolute majority in the 70-member Assembly of the capital territory, defeating the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Mr Arvind Kejriwal, a fierce critic of Mr Modi.
The BJP could get more than 36 of the 70 seats, according to forecasts by some pollsters after voting on Wednesday.
The party last governed Delhi in 1998.
Exit polls, conducted by private polling firms for broadcasters, have a patchy record in India, where the voting population is highly diverse.
AAP, which grew out of an anti-corruption movement in 2012, tasted its first electoral success in Delhi and has ruled the state, which houses India’s Parliament and federal government offices, for two consecutive terms since 2015.
Mr Kejriwal, 55, an anti-corruption crusader-turned-politician, was arrested on graft charges weeks before the general election began. He alleged a political vendetta by the Modi government. The BJP denies the charges.
Mr Kejriwal was later released on bail, but resigned as chief minister to focus on campaigning for the Delhi election.
The AAP has suffered reputational damage in recent years due to corruption allegations against some of its leaders. The BJP, on the other hand, is riding a wave of popularity with middle-class Indians after making record tax cuts in the country’s annual budget last week.
While the exit polls are not definitive, a win for the BJP will show that Mr Modi’s popularity remains substantial.
The voter turnout in Delhi stood at about 58 per cent, according to the latest update from the Election Commission of India. Official results are due tomorrow.
Reuters
