Exit polls released after polls closed in state assembly elections indicate that Aam Aadmi party has beaten Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

India’s Narendra Modi was forecast to suffer the first major setback of his premiership on Saturday as exit polls showed his party had been defeated in elections to Delhi’s state assembly by an anti-corruption champion.

Four exit polls indicated that the Aam Aadmi party of Delhi’s former chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, had comfortably beaten Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party (BJP). Two of the polls forecast an overall majority.

Polling has been wide of the mark in the past, but victory would be particularly sweet for the former taxman, trounced by Modi when they both contested the constituency of Varanasi in May’s general election.

Most pundits had written Kejriwal off after he resigned following a chaotic 49-day spell in charge of the Delhi state government last year and then saw his party win just four seats in the general election.

After apologising for leaving voters without an elected government for a year, however, Kejriwal has been the star of the campaign, outshining the former policewoman Kiran Bedi who was the BJP’s candidate.

A steady stream of voters attended polling booths throughout the day and the electoral commission put the final turnout at 67%.

“People want a corruption-free and bribery-free Delhi and I’m hopeful they will vote accordingly,” Kejriwal told reporters as he cast his ballot.

“I am confident the people will win and that the truth will win.”

Rattled by Kejriwal’s popularity, Modi has taken to the campaign trail, portraying his rival as a backstabber who betrayed voters last time round by quitting so early.

Having invested an unusually large amount of political capital in a state election, observers say a defeat will be a significant personal setback for a prime minister who has enjoyed an extended honeymoon with voters since his landslide general election victory.

“It [Aam Aadmi] appears to be a credible challenger to the Modi juggernaut,” said an editorial in the Hindu newspaper on Saturday.

“The party’s impressive revival after its rout in the parliamentary elections of May 2014 has put the BJP on the back foot and made Delhi the first real contest for Prime Minister Modi.”

Bedi was hoping Modi’s strong support will be decisive.

“By voting for the BJP in Delhi, you also voting for Narendra Modi,” she said after casting her ballot.

“If people choose the BJP as the winning party then they’ll be getting two leaders instead of one.”

A former reality TV show host, Bedi is a seasoned media performer, but Kejriwal has proved his pulling power among working class and minority voters with impromptu appearances drawing thousands.

Kejriwal’s campaign has been based around promises of lower utility bills and free Wi-Fi for Delhi’s 17 million residents, and pledges to counter corruption.

“Prices have gone up, water and electricity are becoming costlier. We need a government that brings some relief to the poor people,” said 24-year-old Pranav Singh said as he voted in the Saket district.

Kejriwal famously declared himself an anarchist during his brief tenure last year and staged several protests outside government offices.

After winning plaudits for taking the metro to his inauguration, his administration soon lost its sheen, with a raid on a largely African neighbourhood sparking claims of racism.

In a press conference on Friday, Modi’s finance minister and top lieutenant, Arun Jaitley, said Aam Aadmi’s rule had been nightmarish.

“Delhi needs an administrator and not an anarchist,” he said.

The BJP won most seats in the last election in December 2013, but fell short of a majority in the 70-seat assembly, enabling Kejriwal to form a government with the help of the centre-left Congress party.

It was the last real setback for the BJP, which has since stormed to victory in a string of state polls and the general election.

Defeat would also present Modi’s government with a headache as Aam Aadmi is likely to try to stop it pushing through reforms on issues such as land acquisition and direct foreign investment in the capital.