NEW DELHI,FEB 8 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken a comfortable lead over the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in early trends, as counting began at 8am on Saturday for Delhi\u2019s 70-seat assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AAP, in power since 2013, seeks a fourth consecutive term, while the BJP, which last won the capital in 1993, is eager to end a 27-year drought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congress, once dominant in Delhi from 1998 to 2013, aims to recover from a series of defeats after failing to secure any seats in the last two elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Voter turnout for Wednesday’s election was 60.54%, according to the Election Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exit polls favour the BJP, presenting a major challenge for AAP, which is fighting not only anti-incumbency but also its political survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Should the BJP emerge victorious, it would not only reclaim Delhi after nearly three decades but also break AAP’s stronghold on the city, marking a significant political shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AAP’s rise has been rooted in its anti-corruption movement, with Arvind Kejriwal, its convener and chief ministerial candidate, looking to cement his legacy with a fourth term. The party has rejected the exit poll predictions, asserting that it will retain power under Kejriwal\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AAP’s 2015 landslide victory, where it secured 67 of the 70 seats, and its 2020 triumph with 62 seats, has solidified its dominance in Delhi. A victory tomorrow would further elevate Kejriwal\u2019s national political stature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is leading BJP\u2019s Parvesh Verma by 343 votes in New Delhi after initially trailing the former West Delhi MP. Congress\u2019 Sandeep Dikshit remains a distant third, trailing by 5,350 votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Kalkaji, BJP\u2019s Ramesh Bidhuri has extended his lead over AAP\u2019s Atishi by 1,342 votes, while Congress\u2019 Alka Lamba lags by 8,025 votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Jangpura, former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia\u2019s fate remains uncertain as the AAP leader trails BJP\u2019s Tarvinder Singh Marwah by 1,314 votes, according to the latest trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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