NEW DELHI : Exit polls released on Saturday predict a win for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi even as some showed their seat projection to be lower than the 2015 assembly elections. The assembly election is a prestige battle for the national capital where the AAP is looking to form government for a third consecutive term.

This election saw a three-cornered contest between with the AAP taking on two national parties – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. Most exit polls have showed that the AAP will comfortably cross the half way mark while limiting the BJP to an opposition position and predicting a rout for the Congress.

At least six exit polls showed a clear win for the AAP. India Today – Axis my India poll showed a massive win for the party with a range of 59-68 seats for the AAP. Exit poll conducted by Times Now-Ipsos, ABP News – Cvoter, Jan-ki-Baat, Cicero have showed the party will win more than 45 seats.

Jammu: A soldier was killed and three others were injured on Saturday as the Pakistani army violated the ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing of small arms and mortar shelling along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said.

The soldier, manning a forward post, was killed and three others were injured in Degwar sector, they said.

Srinagar, Feb 08: Former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Altaf Bukhari on Saturday said invoking the Public Safety Act (PSA) against former chief ministers — Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti was “most unfortunate”.

The former PDP leader demanded a “level playing field” for all political parties for the revival of democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir.

Bukhari said putting mainstream leaders and workers behind bars in and outside Jammu and Kashmir does not serve any purpose and rather raises a question on the country”s democratic set-up.

“Not only the top leadership of political mainstream is behind bars but over a thousand workers who have sacrificed a lot for strengthening the political process in Jammu and Kashmir are still under detention,” Bukhari said in a statement.

“Releasing them all at the earliest will not only provide much needed succour to their families but will indisputably grant a lease of life to the stalled democratic process in J&K,” Bukhari added.

He said the use of PSA against mainstream political leaders is not justifiable and should be revoked without any further delay.

“Booking former chief ministers and other mainstream leaders under PSA dents the efforts for renewing a mired political process. This untenable action is not only discouraging but dispiriting for all assiduous political workers who want a level playing field for all shades of political opinion in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Bukhari said that the union government must not allow the notion of helplessness to prevail among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and take all measures to restore the lost trust and confidence mandatory for resumption of a meaningful political outreach.

“There is no substitute to sincere and meaningful political outreach and that can commence with the release of the three former chief ministers and all other mainstream leaders and activists irrespective of their political affiliations,” he said.