Control of the assembly in New Delhi is set to change hands, a feat that eluded the Indian prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata Party for nearly three decades.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 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.

The BJP won 48 of the 70 seats in the capital district, well ahead of the 22 for the Aam Aadmi Party of Arvind Kejriwal, a fierce critic of Modi, Election Commission data showed.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to win 48 of the 70-member legislative assembly, where it was leading, according to the Election Commission of India’s website. BJP is reclaiming Delhi after almost three decades.

BJP polled just three per cent more votes than AAP in Delhi, which showed that “freebies are an important part of India’s political culture,” Deshmukh added, referring to AAP dangling carrots to the state’s voters.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bhartiya Janata Party on Saturday regained power in the nation's capital for the first time in 27 years, a boost for the Hindu-nationalist leader after

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party is pitted against the Aam Aadmi Party, led by Arvind Kejriwal, which runs Delhi and has built a vast support base on its popular welfare policies and an anti-corruption movement.

It was a resounding victory that showed the BJP recovering some support since an unexpectedly poor showing in last year’s national elections.

By Adnan Abidi and Rajendra Jadhav NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party on Saturday regained power in the nation's capital for the first time in 27 years, a boost for the Hindu-nationalist leader after a disappointing national election last year.