Modi faces possible state poll defeat

New Delhi

INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing his first state election defeat since taking charge last year, opinion polls show, a result that would dent his chances of consolidating power needed to speed up an economic recovery.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has ordered scores of its top national and state leaders to campaign for this weekend's high-profile election to the Delhi assembly where a small anti-corruption party is threatening to stop its momentum. But even the appointment of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to oversee the campaign while he is writing this month's federal budget may not be enough.