INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that "development had won" as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured victory in Delhi’s local elections, ending a 27-year gap since it last controlled the capital’s legislature.
"Development has won, good governance has won," Modi said after Delhi’s former chief minister, a key opposition leader, conceded defeat.
The BJP, which leads the national government, had not governed Delhi’s local assembly since 1998, making this a significant political comeback.
"We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring the overall development of Delhi and making the lives of residents better," Modi said in a social media post.
Arvind Kejriwal lost his seat to a BJP candidate, according to election commission results, as his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered widespread losses. Kejriwal’s party had been in power in Delhi for most of the past decade.
"We accept the verdict and congratulate the BJP," Kejriwal said in a video statement.
BJP supporters gathered outside the party’s headquarters in New Delhi, waving flags and posters of Modi while celebrating the victory.
With counting still underway, the BJP had already secured enough seats to surpass the majority mark, according to election commission figures, and was on track to win around two-thirds of the 70-seat assembly.
"Our victory is a sign of the people's faith in prime minister Modi's vision of progress," home minister Amit Shah said in a statement.
"The Delhi mandate shows that people can't be misled with lies every time."'Very strong position'
Kejriwal, who came to power a decade ago as an anti-corruption campaigner, spent several months in jail last year over allegations that his party took kickbacks for liquor licences. Several other AAP leaders were also accused in the case.
He has denied wrongdoing and called the charges a political attack by Modi’s government.
Kejriwal was a key figure in an opposition bloc formed ahead of India’s general elections last year, where the BJP retained power despite losses.
His defeat in Delhi is a major setback for AAP and strengthens the BJP’s position, said Rahul Verma of the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi.
"Now it seems what happened in the general elections was a temporary lapse," Verma said. "And it has put AAP in a difficult position going ahead."
Despite weeks of campaigning, Delhi’s severe air pollution crisis received little attention during the election. The city is among the world’s most polluted capitals, with smog levels often exceeding safe limits by up to 60 times.
Years of government efforts have failed to significantly improve air quality, with pollution linked to thousands of premature deaths each year, particularly affecting children and the elderly.
(With inputs from AFP)
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