Millions of residents in New Delhi cast their ballots on Wednesday in a pivotal election that will determine the leadership of the federal territory, home to over 20 million people, The Associated Press reports.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, is vying to retain control after landslide victories in 2015 and 2020, but faces a strong challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been out of power in Delhi for over 27 years. Results are expected on Saturday.
The lead-up to the election has been fraught with political tension, with Kejriwal and other AAP leaders embroiled in graft allegations related to a liquor license case. Kejriwal himself was arrested last year, along with two key party figures, on charges of accepting bribes from a liquor distributor, charges they vehemently deny, claiming a political conspiracy. The Supreme Court granted bail to Kejriwal and other ministers.
Kejriwal later stepped down as chief minister, handing over the reins to a senior party leader.
Opposition parties have widely condemned Kejriwal’s arrest, accusing Modi’s government of using federal investigation agencies to harass and weaken political opponents. They point to a pattern of raids, arrests, and corruption investigations targeting key opposition figures in the months leading up to the election.
The BJP, despite failing to secure a majority on its own in last year’s national election, formed a government with coalition partners and has since gained ground, winning two state elections in northern Haryana and western Maharashtra states.
Modi’s party hopes to capitalize on a recent boost from the federal budget, which slashed income taxes for the salaried middle class, a key demographic for the BJP.
Kejriwal, who rose to prominence as an anti-corruption crusader after forming the AAP in 2012, tapped into public anger against the then-ruling Congress party over widespread corruption scandals. His pro-poor policies, focusing on improving state-run schools, providing cheap electricity, free health care, and free bus transport for women, have resonated with many voters.
The BJP, which was last in power in Delhi in 1998 before being ousted by the Congress party, is hoping to regain control after the AAP’s dominant performance in the previous two elections.
