How weak has Modi come out of India's elections? | DW News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's coalition won a majority of seats in India's general election, as the counting of votes neared completion on Tuesday. But the tally for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was well short of an expected landslide, dealing a surprise setback for Modi. Unlike the last two elections, the BJP needs its alliance partners to cross the 272 majority mark in the 543-seat lower house of parliament. Modi had set a target of more than 400 seats for the NDA.

But the alliance was leading in only about 290, according to Election Commission data about three-quarters of the way through the count. The BJP itself was leading in around 240 seats, compared with 303 at the last election in 2019. Final results were expected to come later on Tuesday or early Wednesday.

A smaller-than-expected mandate means Modi will have to lean more on his allies — like regional leaders N. Chandrababu Naidu in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and Nitish Kumar in Bihar in the east — for support, unlike in the past. Naidu's Telugu Desam Party and Kumar's Janata Dal (United) said they would endorse Modi for prime minister. Meanwhile, supporters of the principal opposition Indian National Congress appeared upbeat despite the party losing the election. They chanted slogans praising Rahul Gandhi, the most prominent leader of the party. He is also the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that played a dominant role in Indian politics for generations. Speaking at a press conference with party President Mallikarjun Kharge, Gandhi said he saw the figures as a message from the people.

The BJP's performance was likely hit by the party's poor showing in the country's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 lawmakers to parliament. The party was leading in 33 seats in the state, down from the 62 it won there in 2019. The BJP had campaigned on India's rapid economic expansion and its growing international stature, as well as tried to appeal to the Hindu majority. But analysts said issues like the unemployment crisis had been higher on people's minds. A grand temple to Hindu god-king Lord Ram that Modi inaugurated in January had also not boosted the BJP's fortunes as it was expected to, they said.

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