Indian PM Modi claims victory even as voters deal him a surprise setback
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi suffered a surprise setback Tuesday, with his majority in doubt as he claimed to have secured a rare third term at the helm of the world’s most populous country after a divisive decade in power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
His Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and allied parties appeared to have secured almost 300 of 543 seats in Parliament, early election results showed, which would give them a simple majority. But the BJP may fall short of a majority on its own, with the opposition performing better than expected after exit polls had suggested Modi’s alliance would win by a landslide.
That result would weaken Modi, whose dominance over India has steadily grown since he gained power in 2014, and leave him dependent on forming a coalition to remain in power. Even that could be in doubt, as Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Indian National Congress, left open the possibility that he may try to form a coalition with two parties allied with the BJP that used to be Congress’ partners.
This is not how the election was supposed to go for Modi, who has a vast base of supporters both at home and among the large Indian diaspora who see him as responsible for India’s rocketing economy and rising confidence on the world stage. According to Morning Consult, Modi is by far the world’s most popular leader, with an approval rating of 74%.
Critics say Modi has also eroded human rights in India, the world’s largest democracy, and stoked religious tensions, particularly against India’s Muslim minority, with Modi and other BJP candidates accused of hate speech and other inflammatory rhetoric during the campaign.
India is also struggling to provide enough jobs for its 1.4 billion people, despite being the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi flashes victory signs
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi flashed victory signs as he arrived at party headquarters on Tuesday.Arun Sankar / AFP – Getty Images
Outside BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday, dozens of Modi supporters danced to drums and chanted Hindu nationalist slogans, wearing shirts that read “I am Modi’s family” and scarves the color of saffron, the BJP’s official color which is also associated with Hindu nationalism.
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Anxious and disappointed party workers and Modi supporters were glued to the TV screens, awaiting the final results as the supermajority they had hoped for appeared increasingly out of reach. Others were angry.
“Some voters betrayed us. They betrayed Indian tradition,” said Ram Shankar Maharaj, a Hindu priest who had traveled to New Delhi to watch the results from his home in the northern city of Ayodhya, where Modi in January presided over the opening of a grand Hindu temple on a contested holy site.
The Ayodhya constituency that includes the temple was among those that the BJP conceded on Tuesday.
“We should have gotten 500 [seats],” Maharaj added. “India will suffer from this. Had they cleared 400, the country would flourish.”
India’s benchmark stock indices closed at record highs on Monday after exit polls pointed to a thumping victory for Modi, then fell sharply Tuesday as the results became more muddied. fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt fgt
Speaking across from BJP headquarters Tuesday night, Modi claimed victory, saying his alliance was poised to form a government. Rather than focusing on the BJP itself, he mentioned the broader alliance multiple times and praised its leaders.
“This is a victory for the world’s biggest democracy,” Modi said as supporters chanted Hindu nationalist slogans. “This is the first time a government has come back for the third time.”
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