India’s transformative yet divisive Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared victory in national elections on Tuesday evening, but his goal of winning an unassailable majority was left in tatters after voters delivered a shock result that reduced the extent of his party’s grip on power.
But Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party fell short of securing the 272 seats needed to win an outright majority in parliament, a stunning upset that leaves them reliant on coalition partners to form a government. ”
This is a personal blow to Modi, who had triumphantly vowed to win a 400-seat supermajority in this year’s election – and romped to victory the last two contests with a simple majority for the BJP, turning his Hindu nationalist right-wing party into an electoral juggernaut.