New Delhi:
As Delhi voted in record numbers today, the attention-grabber is Arvind Kejriwal, who is leading the city's newest political party.
The exit poll of polls- the average of polls conducted by five agencies - shows Mr Kejriwal winning 17 of the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly, the same as the incumbent Congress. The poll shows the BJP landing 34.
Results will be declared on Sunday, along with those for three other states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Counting of votes for Mizoram will be held on Monday. The outcome will be used to extrapolate the possible result of the national election, due by May.
Mr Kejriwal voted this morning surrounded by a large group of supporters chanting "
jhaadu (broom)."
"I am very confident of the results. It will not be my victory but that of the people," Mr Kejriwal said. He added that he will do
vipassana or meditation for the next two days and "return on December 7".
Mr Kejriwal chose New Delhi as his constituency, a bold move that placed him in direct competition with Sheila Dikshit, the 76-year-old chief minister who is looking for a record fourth term. The BJP has fielded former Delhi chief Vijender Gupta for the same area.
Mr Kejriwal has campaigned against endemic and systemic corruption. His supporters expect him to capitalize on the disillusionment with the two major political parties by offering what it claims will be an honest administration which takes the pressing problems of the city as its priority.
In recent weeks, huge batallions of AAP volunteers have trudged through the alleys of the city's poorest neighborhoods to tap the deep vein of dissatisfaction that has gripped Delhi residents, particularly over corruption and the soaring cost of living.
While campaigning, Mr Kejriwal has dramatically brandished his party's election symbol, the broom while vowing to "sweep out the rubbish that has accumulated over the decades."