Prime Minister Modi claims victory in Indian,Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP #india #modi #pm

[world news today] Prime Minister Modi claims victory in Indian Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP #india #modi #pm

Indian PM Modi claims victory even as voters deal him a surprise setback
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP and allied parties were leading in early election results, but the opposition was doing better than expected.

By Mithil Aggarwal and Janis Mackey Frayer
NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared victory Tuesday, but it wasn't the landslide he had been predicting as his party lost seats to a stronger-than-expected opposition.

Still, Modi declared that Indian voters had “shown immense faith” both in his party and his National Democratic Alliance coalition after he locked down a rare third term as leader of the world’s most populous country following a divisive decade in power.

“This is a victory for the world’s biggest democracy,” Modi told the crowd at his party’s headquarters.

His Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or 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 for the first time since the BJP swept to power in 2014, it did not secure a majority on its own, The Associated Press reported. It won 240 seats with the opposition performing better than expected after exit polls suggested Modi’s alliance was cruising toward an overwhelming victory.

That leaves Modi, whose dominance over India has steadily grown since he gained power in 2014, dependent on forming a coalition to remain in power.

Even that could be in doubt. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Indian National Congress has 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%.

But critics say Modi has also eroded human rights in India and stoked religious tensions, particularly against India’s Muslim minority.

Modi and other BJP candidates were 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.

Outside BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday, dozens of Modi supporters danced to drums and chanted Hindu nationalist slogans. They wore 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.

Inside, the feeling was less celebratory.

RecommendedAnxious 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,” 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. "They betrayed Indian tradition."

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.

Speaking across from BJP headquarters Tuesday night, Modi said 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.

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