Modi’s party rejects election defeat forecast in Delhi polls

Exit polls released after the voting showed that the party of former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had comfortably beaten Mr Modi’s ruling BJP.

NEW DELHI // Narendra Modi’s party staunchly denied on Sunday that India’s prime minister was facing his first election defeat since storming to power last year even though exit polls tipped an anti-corruption camapaigner to win New Delhi’s state polls.

Six exit polls released hours after voting ended on Saturday indicated the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had comfortably beaten Mr Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Exit polls also predicted another humiliating loss for the left-leaning Congress party which has dominated Indian politics since indepedence in 1947.

But polls have been inaccurate in the past before.

A BJP leader refused to throw in the towel on Sunday, saying official results released on Tuesday would show a different story.

“The results will defy the exit poll predictions as BJP will emerge victorious and will definitely form the next government,” Ramesh Bidhuri, general secretary of the BJP’s Delhi party, said.

“[But] if BJP does lose the elections, we cannot say Narendra Modi’s popularity has dwindled or the Modi wave is over,” he added.

India’s commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman was less confident, saying only that “we are hopeful that we will win”.

Observers say a defeat will be a significant setback for a prime minister who has enjoyed an extended honeymoon with voters since his landslide general election victory.

A loss for Mr Modi would also set back his plans to consolidate power in the national parliament to push through promised economic reforms.

Victory for Mr Kejriwal would mark a stunning comeback for the anti-corruption champion who resigned following a chaotic 49-day spell in charge of the Delhi state government a year ago.

Mr Kejriwal was trounced by Mr Modi when they battled for the same seat in May’s general election. The AAP won only four seats nationally.

* Agence France-Presse