Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s Hindu nationalist party won elections in the sprawling megacity of Delhi for the first time in 27 years on Saturday, defeating one of his most prominent critics in a much-needed boost after losing its national majority last year. <\/p>\n
Modi\u2019s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 48 seats in the capital territory\u2019s 70-member assembly, according to figures posted online by the Indian Election Commission. <\/p>\n
\u201cDevelopment wins, good governance triumphs,\u201d said Modi in a post on X. \u201cI bow to my dear sisters and brothers of Delhi for this resounding and historic mandate.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal, one of Modi\u2019s most prominent opponents and former chief minister of the capital, won just 22 seats. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe accept the mandate of the people with great humility. I congratulate the BJP for this victory, and I hope they will fulfil all the promises for which people have voted them,\u201d Kejriwal said in a video statement. <\/p>\n
Delhi, a sprawling city of some 20 million people, faces huge issues like access to housing and high levels of air pollution that blanket the city in toxic smog for months each year. <\/p>\n
The capital has long been a stumbling block for the BJP electoral juggernaut, which has rolled across much of India over the past decade, with the party last holding power there in 1998. <\/p>\n
The AAP, which grew out of a popular anti-corruption movement, has governed the capital \u2013 home to India\u2019s parliament and government buildings \u2013 since 2015. <\/p>\n
Just before general elections in April last year, Kejriwal was arrested on graft charges that he and his party said were ordered by the BJP, something Modi\u2019s government has long denied. <\/p>\n
The US State Department later angered Modi\u2019s government by calling on authorities to ensure a fair legal process for Kejriwal. <\/p>\n
Modi won a third term at last year\u2019s mammoth general elections, becoming the first leader since India\u2019s founding prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to secure such a feat. But voters delivered a shock result that reduced the BJP\u2019s majority in the national parliament, and the party now governs the country of 1.4 billion people as part of a coalition. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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