Faced with the surprising drop in support for the BJP, its opponents claimed they had also won a victory of sorts, with the main opposition Congress saying the election had been a “moral and political loss” for Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared victory for his alliance in India’s general election on Tuesday, claiming a mandate to advance his agenda even as his party lost seats facing a opposition stronger than expectedwho opposed his mixed economic record and polarizing policies.
“ Today’s victory is the victory of the world’s greatest democracy “, Mr. Modi told the crowd gathered at his party headquarters, asserting that Indian voters had ” shows immense faith » both in his party and in his coalition, the National Democratic Alliance.
According to official results from the Election Commission of India, the NDA won 286 seats, more than the 272 seats needed for a majority, but far fewer than expected.
Modi’s victory is only the second time an Indian leader has retained power for a third term, after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first Prime Minister. But also, for the first time since his Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, took power in 2014, he did not obtain a majority on his ownwinning 240 seats – far fewer than the record 303 it won in the 2019 election.
“Goodwill of the allies”
That means Modi will need the support of other parties in his coalition – a major blow for the 73-year-old, who was hoping for a landslide victory.
The party could now “ rely heavily on the goodwill of its allies, making them key players who can be expected to pull their weight, both in terms of policy-making and government formation said Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
More than 640 million votes were cast in the marathon election which took place over a six-week period as part of the largest democratic exercise in the world.
Faced with the surprising drop in support for the BJP, its opponents claimed they had also won a victory of sorts, with the main opposition party Congress declaring the election a “moral and political loss” for Modi.
“ It is the victory of the public and of democracy Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters.
De-marginalization of Hindu nationalism
Despite this setback, Mr. Modi pledged to keep his election promise to make the Indian economy the third largest economy in the world, while it currently occupies fifth place, and not to hesitate to advance his agenda.
He said it would advance India’s defense production, create jobs for youth, increase exports and help farmers, among other things.
“ This country will experience a new chapter of big decisions. This is Mod’s guaranteei,” he said, speaking in the third person.
Many of the Hindu nationalist policies he implemented over the past decade will also remain in place.
Before Modi came to power, India experienced coalition governments for 30 years.
The opposition INDIA coalition won 225 seats and was ahead in five other seats that had not yet been decided as of Wednesday morning.
In ten years of power, Modi transformed the Indian political landscapebringing Hindu nationalism, once a fringe ideology in India, into the mainstream, while leaving the country deeply divided.
His supporters consider him a strong, self-made leader which improved India’s position in the world. His detractors and opponents say his Hinduism-focused policies have bred intolerancewhile the economy, one of the fastest growing in the world, has become more unequal.