"What's Wrong In Saying Traitors Should Be Shot?": BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri

Arvind Kejriwal's announcement last year to not bill Delhi residents if they use no more than 200 units of electricity a month appears to have had an impact on the poor, BJP MP from Delhi, Ramesh Bidhuri, said as votes were counted for the Delhi election.

AAP was leading, racing ahead of the BJP in the first hour of counting.

"Arvind Kejriwal's decision two month before the election to give free electricity up to 200 units has had an impact on the poor. If BJP workers succeed in ensuring that the central government's schemes reach the ground, then the BJP's performance will be good," Mr Bhidhuri told NDTV.

"If they don't ensure the schemes reaching the ground, then the Kejriwal government that gives 200 units of free electricity will benefit," he added.

Delhi saw an acrimonious and polarising campaign revolving around the Shaheen Bagh protest against the citizenship law. BJP leaders have portrayed those protesting against the citizenship law as "traitors". "What is wrong with saying that traitors should be shot. After all, are such people not hanged after being tried," Mr Bhidhuri told NDTV.

Last month, Union Minister Anurag Thakur was caught encouraging slogans of "Goli maaro sa*** ko (shoot the traitors)" at a rally.

The BJP held a high-voltage campaign, confident that its seven-out-of-seven-score in last year's Lok Sabha polls in Delhi augurs better fortune. In the run-up to the polls, the party pushed in its 270 MPs, 70 union ministers and state leaders to seek votes. Union minister Amit Shah contributed to the final push with a door-to-door campaign.

A party needs 36 in the Delhi assembly for a majority.

Ramesh Bhiduri's earlier reference was to Chief Minister Kejriwal's announcement last August that people of Delhi will not be billed if they use no more than 200 units of electricity a month. It costs the government Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,000 crore annually on power subsidy, the Chief Minister had said.

Since AAP came to power in February 2015, the Delhi government has been providing 50 per cent subsidy on power bills, making good on one of its main campaign promises.