Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed victory for his alliance on Tuesday in India’s general election, despite a lackluster performance from his own party as it faced a stronger than expected challenge from the opposition.
Modi said that his National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will form the government for the third consecutive time.
“Today’s victory is the victory of the world’s largest democracy” he said, speaking at his party headquarters.
Extreme heat struck India as voters went to the polls. While temperatures were somewhat lower on Tuesday, election officials and political parties still hauled in large quantities of water and installed outdoor air coolers for people waiting for results.
Outside BJP party headquarters in New Delhi, supporters banged drums and bells as the counting was underway.
For the first time since Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power in 2014, it appeared unlikely that it would secure a majority on its own – but the prime minister’s coalition was still expected to be elected to a third five-year term in the world’s largest democratic exercise.
If Modi does have to rely on coalition support to govern, it would be a stunning blow for the 73-year-old, who had hoped for a landslide victory.
“People have placed their faith in the NDA, for a third consecutive time,” Modi wrote on social media platform X, referring to the National Democratic Alliance that his party heads. “This is a historical feat in India’s history.”
Meanwhile, the main opposition Congress party said the election had been a “moral and political loss” for Modi.
“This is public’s victory and a win for democracy,” Congress party President Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters.
Meanwhile, supporters at the Congress party headquarters appeared upbeat and chanted slogans praising Rahul Gandhi, the face of the party’s campaign.
Speaking at the press conference with party president Kharge, Rahul said he saw the figures as a message from the people.
“The poorest of this country have defended the constitution of India,” he said.
Some 12 hours into counting, partial tallies reported by India’s Election Commission showed Modi’s BJP was ahead in 114 constituencies and had won 126 of 543 parliamentary seats. The Congress party led in 45 constituencies and had won 54.
A total of 272 seats are needed for a majority. In 2019, the BJP won 303 seats, while they secured 282 in 2014 when Modi first came to power.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance led in 147 constituencies and won 139, according to the partial count. The Congress party is part of the INDIA alliance, which led in 131 constituencies and had won 99.
The Election Commission does not release data on the percentage of votes tallied.
Exit polling from the weekend had projected the NDA to win more than 350 seats. Indian markets, which had hit an all-time high on Monday, closed sharply down Tuesday, with benchmark stock indices – the NIFTY 50 and the BSE Sensex – both down by more than 5%.
Associated Press
Over 10 years in power, Modi’s popularity has outstripped that of his party’s, and turned a parliamentary election into one that increasingly resembled a presidential-style campaign. The result is that the BJP relies more and more on Modi’s enduring brand to stay in power, with local politicians receding into the background even in state elections.
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