BJP comeback in Delhi after 27 years, predict exit polls, big setback for AAP

NEW DELHI: The BJP, reduced to just single digits in the last two Delhi Assembly elections, is likely to return to the helm in the national capital after a hiatus of 27 years, predicted a majority of exit polls on Wednesday.

The predictions spell a big setback for Arvind Kejriwal, who stepped down as the Chief Minister last year amid corruption charges, and the AAP, which was eyeing a third term on the back of consecutive near-sweeps in the 2015 and 2020 polls.

The Congress, down and out in Delhi since Sheila Dikshit’s ‘golden era’, has been best predicted to win 1-2 seats by the pollsters.

An average of four exit polls shows that the BJP, coming on the back of thumping victories in Haryana and Maharashtra, is likely to secure 42 seats, comfortably above the halfway mark of 36. The AAP is likely to be reduced to just 25 seats.

However, past elections have shown that exit polls often get it wrong, and the numbers predicted by the pollsters must be taken with a pinch of salt.

While PMarq has predicted anywhere between 39-49 seats for the BJP, it has given AAP 21-31 seats. Times Now JVC has forecast 39-45 seats for the BJP and 22-31 seats for the AAP. Among all the pollsters, People’s Pulse has given the most seats to the BJP (51-60). It has forecast 10-19 seats for the AAP.

Only Matrize predicted a close contest in the national capital. It has given 35-40 seats to the BJP and 32-37 seats to the AAP. A party needs to win atleast 36 seats to stake claim to form the government in Delhi, which has 70 Assembly seats.

As the exit polls predicted a favourable outcome for the saffron party, BJP’s Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva said “AAP-da (disaster) is leaving” – a term coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to describe the AAP.

However, the AAP put up a brave face, with leader Reena Gupta stressing that the party would “register a historic victory”, and Arvind Kejriwal would become the Chief Minister for a fourth time.