Modi's party wins election in New Delhi after 27 years

NEW DELHI — India's Hindu-nationalist ruling party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi regained power in the country's capital for the first time in 27 years, according to official data on Saturday.

"Development has won, good governance has won," Modi said after the city's ex-leader — a key opposition figurehead to the prime minister — was confirmed as having lost his seat.

"We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring the overall development of Delhi and making the lives of residents better," Modi said on X.

His Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, won 48 seats in the 70-member assembly that includes New Delhi, ousting the Aam Aadmi Party, or AAP, that ruled the capital since 2015, according to the Election Commission of India. The AAP won 22 seats.

In a major upset, AAP founder and leader Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy, Manish Sisodia, lost their seats despite their party having built widespread support with its welfare policies and anti-corruption movement.

"We accept the mandate of the people with great humility," Kejriwal said in a video statement while congratulating the BJP on its victory.

Waving party flags and posters of Modi, supporters of the BJP chanted slogans and danced outside its headquarters in the capital as election results began trickling in, with most exit polls predicting the party's win.

The BJP's Amit Shah, who is India's home minister, said his party's victory signified that "people can't be misled with lies every time".Under the leadership of Modi, the BJP would make New Delhi "the world's No 1 capital by fulfilling all promises", he said.

Saturday's victory is seen as a big boost for the BJP after it failed to secure a majority on its own in last year's national election but formed the government with coalition partners. It gained some lost ground by winning two state elections in northern Haryana and western Maharashtra states last year.

Ahead of the election, Modi's party slashed income taxes on the salaried middle class, one of its key voting blocs, in the federal budget.

Agencies via Xinhua