Tuesday Sep 17, 2024
Tuesday Sep 17, 2024
Wednesday, 5 June 2024 00:34 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday claimed victory in India’s mammoth election, though official final results are not due for hours.
In an upset for Modi, early results show his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may fall short of an outright majority and be reliant on longstanding coalition allies to form a Government.
India’s opposition has made unexpected gains, including in key BJP strongholds.
All 642 million votes cast during six weeks of the world’s biggest election, which ended on 1 June, are being counted today. Votes are being tallied under an extreme heat wave that has killed dozens of people.
India has inched closer toward superpower status under Modi’s decade of rule but has also become increasingly polarised along religious lines.
Modi’s victory speech chimed with the image that he has projected throughout his decade in power: confident and with no admission of any defeats.
Despite facing shock upsets in the election, Modi did not admit this as he spoke.
BJP is on track to fall short of an outright majority and is set to form a coalition Government with his allied parties to remain in power.
Still, Modi triumphantly declared that he would Govern India for the next five years, promising an era of development and prosperity.
“This is the third time we have received these blessings from the public,” Modi said from his party’s headquarters in New Delhi. “It is an emotional moment for me.”
And he strategically spotlighted the coalition he now needs to form a Government.
“Today is a glorious day. The NDA (National Democratic Alliance) is going to form the Government for the third time,” he said, referring to his coalition partners.
Preliminary figures from the Election Commission indicate the BJP is short of securing the 272 seats needed to win an outright majority in parliament, a stunning upset that leaves them reliant on longstanding allies to form a Government.
Modi is set to form a Government with the help of the NDA – securing him a third consecutive term — a landmark that makes him one of the most successful politicians in post-independence India.
Full results are expected in the coming hours, but current trends show they are nonetheless something of a personal blow to Modi, who had triumphantly vowed to win a 400-seat supermajority in this year’s election.
