<span>Millions of New Delhi residents will </span><span>vote this week in </span><span>what is expected to be a tightly contested election between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party and the local grass roots Aam Aadmi Party.</span> <span>Arvind Kejriwal, a</span><span> former anti-corruption</span><span> activist</span><span>, led </span><span>the party to a thumping victory against the BJP in the New Delhi Assembly election in 2015.</span> <span>About 14 million people will cast their ballots in the </span><span>latest </span><span>election</span><span> – </span><span>which will be held on Saturday, with </span><span>the results expected three days later</span><span> – </span><span>to decide </span><span>between more than 650 candidates </span><span>vying for seats in the city's 70-member assembly. </span> <span>The rival parties, which include Congress, have promised to deliver improvements such as better roads, schools</span><span> and health care, as well as</span><span> cleaner air for the world's most</span><span> polluted capital</span><span>. </span> <span>The </span><span>Hindu nationalist BJP</span><span> has thrown all of its weight behind its candidates to oust Mr Kejriwal, whose cent</span><span>re-left party has focused on welfare</span><span> initiatives for the residents of</span><span> New Delhi, which has a large migrant population.</span> <span>The </span><span>local election is a key test for Mr Modi</span><span>, who convincingly won a general election last year but failed to repeat th</span><span>at success in two regional </span><span>polls.</span> <span>His party has not announced a chief ministerial candidate and is contesting the election</span><span> under Mr Modi's name, with the campaign led by </span><span>the minister of home affairs Amit Shah. He has </span><span>focused on ending the protests against India's anti-citizenship law, a movement </span><span>that began three months ago.</span> <span>Demonstrators claim </span><span>the </span><span>law is anti-Muslim because it offers amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. </span> <span>New Delhi is </span><span>at the heart of the </span><span>nationwide protests, with </span><span>the Delhi-Noida road having been blocked by demonstrators for </span><span>more than a month.</span> <span>Mr Shah </span><span>says the AAP supports the protest</span><span> movement</span> <span> and claim</span><span>s that the </span><span>party </span><span>has failed to fulfil its election promises</span><span>.</span> <span>"I have never seen a liar as big as Mr Kejriwal in 56 years ... </span><span>mark my words, the people of Delhi will teach him a lesson for not keeping his promises," Mr Shah said at</span><span> a rally.</span> <span>Delhi,as a capital territory, is not a fully fledged state and while the </span><span>local government </span><span>looks after civic amenities, important areas </span><span>such as policing and land are under the control of the federal government.</span> <span>Mr Kejriwal, 51, has </span><span>campaigned for Delhi's statehood, as well as</span> <span> offer</span><span>ing free bus </span><span>travel </span><span>to all women and subsidised electricity and water </span><span>to millions of households.</span> <br/> <span>He </span><span>promised to extend the free bus </span><span>travel </span><span>initiative to students </span><span>if re-elected. </span> <span>After large anti-corruption protests </span><span>were held in Delhi</span> <span>, Mr Kejriwal </span><span>won 67 </span><span>seats in the assembly in 2015, with the BJP </span><span>winning the </span><span>other three</span><span>. </span> <span>Sanjay Kumar, political analyst and director of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, said the BJP's nationalist campaign </span><span>would </span><span>not be enough to swing the result in its favour. </span> <span>"</span><span>Just on the issues of nationalism and terrorism, they won't be able to win back voters," Mr Kumar told </span><span><em>The National</em></span><span>.</span>