BJP projected to win election in capital territory

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP party 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 a general election last year.

Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party was predicted to win an absolute majority in the 70-member assembly of the capital territory, defeating the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal, a fierce critic of Modi.

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 territory, which houses India’s parliament and federal government offices, for two consecutive terms from 2015.

Kejriwal, 55, an anti-corruption crusader-turned-politician, was arrested on graft charges weeks before the general election began, and alleged a political vendetta by the Modi government. The BJP denies the charges.

He was later released on bail, but resigned as chief minister to focus on campaigning for the Delhi election.

Modi lost his outright majority in the national parliament last year but returned as prime minister for a record-equalling third term with the support of regional parties. His BJP has won two of three state elections since.