AGARTALA, Feb 11 (TIWN): India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party was facing a stunning defeat by a regional party on Tuesday in elections in the national capital that were seen as a referendum on Modi’s policies, such as a new national citizenship law that excludes Muslims.

Saturday’s New Delhi legislative elections pit Modi’s BJP against the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party, or “Common man’s “ party, whose pro-poor policies focused on fixing state-run schools and providing cheap electricity, free health care and bus transport for women during its five years in power.
The BJP won a bigger majority in a general election in May, but it has lost a string of state elections since then.
The protests, in which at least 25 people have been killed , erupted across the country in December last year, after the BJP passed a new Citizenship law critics say violates India’s secular constitution and discriminates against minority Muslims.
A defeat is a setback to Modi’s prestige, coming less than eight months after he led the BJP to a resounding victory in national elections.