Prime Minister Narendra Modi has claimed victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lok Sabha elections after results were announced on June 4 in India. Though counting is not yet complete, declared results and leads indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not secured a majority on its own as was widely expected.
While Modi will likely become Prime Minister for a third term, his party, the BJP will have to form a government under the NDA umbrella which includes allies like the Janata Dal (U) and the Telugu Desam Party. Together, the alliance is estimated to win 290 seats, representing a majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha, but is significantly lower than the tallies suggested by most exit polls.
The opposition INDI Alliance, consisting of the Indian National Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party, and the All India Trinamool Congress among others, put up a much stronger showing than exit polls predicted, bagging more than 230 seats according to current indications.
This will be the first time since 2014 that Modi’s party has not secured a majority – 272 seats out of 543 – in the Lok Sabha. In 2014, the BJP won 282 seats and improved their tally to 303 in 2019.
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