“BJP has failed to win a big majority on its own."
Narendra Modi is set for a third term as Indian Prime Minister but with a reduced parliamentary majority as the opposition surpassed expectations.
Commentators and exit polls had predicted an overwhelming victory for Mr Modi.
But for the first time in a decade, Mr Modi’s BJP will fail to secure a majority, meaning it would need to rely on alliance partners.
The Congress Party was poised to nearly double its parliamentary seats in a remarkable turnaround largely driven by deals to field single candidates against the BJP’s electoral juggernaut.
With 75% of the votes counted, the BJP’s share of 38.1% was marginally higher than the polling in 2019.
The election commission figures showed the BJP and its allies leading in at least 286 seats out of a total of 543, enough for a parliamentary majority.
But the BJP itself was only leading in 240, well down on the 303 it won five years ago, while the Congress was ahead in 98, up from 52.
Celebrations have already begun at BJP headquarters.
But the mood at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi was also one of jubilation.
Congress politician Rajeev Shukla said:
“BJP has failed to win a big majority on its own. It’s a moral defeat for them.”
Stocks slumped following speculation that the reduced majority would hamper the BJP’s ability to push through reforms.
Mr Modi’s opponents have struggled to counter the BJP’s well-oiled and well-funded campaign and have been hamstrung by what they say are politically motivated criminal cases aimed at hobbling challengers.
US think tank Freedom House said in 2024 that the BJP had “increasingly used government institutions to target political opponents”.
Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of Delhi and a key leader in an alliance formed to compete against Mr Modi, returned to jail on June 2.
Mr Kejriwal was detained in March 2024 over a long-running corruption probe but was later released and allowed to campaign as long as he returned to custody once voting ended.
Before surrendering himself, Mr Kejriwal said:
“When power becomes dictatorship, then jail becomes a responsibility.”
He vowed to continue “fighting” from behind bars.
Many of India’s Muslim minority are increasingly uneasy about their community’s place in the constitutionally secular country.
Narendra Modi has referred to Muslims as “infiltrators”.
Over 642 million voters cast their ballots during the election.
Rajiv Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner, said:
“People should know about the strength of Indian democracy.”
But based on the commission’s figure of an electorate of 968 million, turnout was 66.3%, down from 67.4% in 2019.
Analysts have partly blamed the lower turnout on a searing heatwave across northern India, with temperatures above 45°C.
Despite the initial results, Narendra Modi declared victory in a statement on X.
People have placed their faith in NDA, for a third consecutive time! This is a historical feat in India’s history.
I bow to the Janata Janardan for this affection and assure them that we will continue the good work done in the last decade to keep fulfilling the aspirations of…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 4, 2024
Referring to his party and allies, Mr Modi said:
“People have placed their faith in NDA, for a third consecutive time! This is a historical feat in India’s history.”
He also vowed to “keep fulfilling the aspirations of people”.
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