Exit polls: Did aam aadmi give BJP a shot at power in Delhi on the back of Budget tax relief?

BJP is expected to cruise to power in Delhi, according to majority of the exit polls.

Exit polls have delivered a majority for the BJP and showed the exit door for the AAP as the clamour for a double engine ki sarkaar may have finally won over the voters in the capital.

BJP is expected to comfortably cruise to power in the Delhi battleground that saw a triangular fight with the AAP being relegated to the second position and Congress struggling to find a space, exit polls showed.

Poll of 10 exit polls showed that the BJP could win around 41 seats in the 70-member Delhi assembly while AAP is expected to win around 29 seats and the Congress is likely to draw a blank.

Track Delhi exit polls outcome here

BJP had launched a massive campaign to oust the ruling Aam Aadmi Party which has been in power for the last three terms. The campaign centred around alleged corruption and mis-governance by the AAP government.

It targeted senior AAP leadership including former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia who are out on bail for their alleged involvement in the Delhi excise policy scam.

Tax cut magic at play?

So, what turned the tables in Delhi? Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's tax sops may have worked its magic for the Delhi voter.

The middle class had been hankering for relief for many years and the recent income tax relief announced in the Budget many have finally helped the BJP to end its two-and-a-half decade drought in the capital.

Middle class voter has consistently backed the BJP in successive elections both at the Centre as well as multiple states but was hoping for a relief as far as soaring prices and slowing wage growth is concerned.

FM Sitharaman delivered exactly what the aam aadmi was hoping for -- no income tax up to Rs 12 lakh a year leaving more money in the hands of the taxpayer and hoping for a consumption boost in the process.

The income tax cut just ahead of the Delhi elections came as a whiff of fresh air for the segment that was reeling under high food prices.

Delhi has a large middle-class population and its voting pattern has a huge impact on the outcome. The BJP's promises on the social welfare front may have also contributed towards a change of mind for the Delhi voter.