Modi's BJP leads in high-stakes Delhi election
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party looks set to form the government in the Indian capital Delhi as votes are counted after a tightly-fought election.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party looks set to form the government in the Indian capital Delhi as votes are counted after a tightly-fought election.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 48 seats in the 70-member legislative assembly, while the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is ahead in 22 seats, according to data from the Election Commission of India (EC).
A party that wins more than the halfway mark of 35 seats can form the government.The election was a battle of prestige for both the BJP and AAP, given Delhi's symbolic importance as the country's capital.The city, a federally-administered territory, has been governed by the AAP since 2013, with voters backing its strong record of welfarism. But the party and its leaders have recently been embroiled in corruption allegations which they have denied.
For the BJP, securing Delhi represents more than just electoral success - it would mark a crucial foothold in the nation's capital after being out of power there since 1998 Congress, the main opposition party at the national level, is also in the race, but it is not leading in any seat.
The party governed Delhi from 1998 to 2013, but was ousted over allegations of corruption that saw voters turn to AAP instead. It has failed to make a mark since
