Delhi election: Modi’s BJP on course for defeat as Indian capital rejects ‘poisonous’ campaign

After a campaign driven by divisive rhetoric and fought on BJP’s nationalist agenda, city votes instead for incumbent AAP party with anti-corruption message and focus on welfare, Adam Withnall reports

Arvind Kejriwal (second from right), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and chief minister of Delhi, celebrates with his wife Sunita Kejriwal and children (EPA)

Narendra Modi’s BJP has suffered a resounding defeat in elections for the Delhi assembly, badly losing out to a regional left-wing party despite bringing in some of its star campaigners to rally voters.

With around 80 per cent of the vote counted on Tuesday afternoon, the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was on course to win in 63 of 70 constituencies in the capital, with the BJP taking the other seven.

The expected result means a slightly reduced majority for AAP and its popular leader Arvind Kejriwal, but restricting the BJP to single-digit seats just eight months after Mr Modi won a huge landslide general election victory represents an impressive feat.