- Modi's BJP won 240 constituencies out of 543.
- The Indian National Congress won 99 seats in Lok Sabha.
- The Indian prime minister will meet his allies today to discuss government formation.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has his eyes set on a third term in the top office in New Delhi, despite his party's inability to secure a landslide victory in India's six-week general election.
Elections in India began on April 19 and concluded on June 1.
According to the results declared by the Election Commission of India for the 543 Lok Sabha seats, Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 240 constituencies, while the Indian National Congress won 99 seats. The BJP failed to win a majority in 272 constituencies.
While Modi will return for his third term as prime minister at the Centre, his party, under the banner of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), could not cross the 400-mark, contrary to the expectations of the BJP, with the bloc of INDIAN opposition securing crucial constituencies. .
Following the humiliating results, Modi will meet his allies today to discuss government formation.
The result unsettled investors, and stocks fell sharply on Tuesday as Modi would have to rely on disparate regional parties whose political allegiances have wavered over the years.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 293 seats, more than 20 ahead of the 272 needed to form a government.
The opposition alliance INDIA, led by Rahul Gandhi's centrist Congress party, won 230 seats, more than expected. The Congress alone won 99, almost double the 52 it won in 2019, a surprise jump that is expected to improve Gandhi's position.
The INDIA alliance was also expected to meet in New Delhi on Wednesday and discuss a future course of action.
But any opposition effort to form a government was likely hampered because two of the BJP's key allies backed Modi and said their pre-election alliance with the party was intact.
Addressing a crowd of cheering party workers at the party headquarters late Tuesday afternoon, Modi vowed to work harder in his third term.
“The blessing of the people for the third time in 10 years raises our morale and gives us new strength,” he stated.
— Additional contributions from Reuters
