India’s popular right-wing prime minister Narendra Modi has been re-elected but lost the majority in a shocking upset.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) flashes victory sign as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Jagat Prakash Nadda (L) looks on during the celebrations after their victory in India's general election. (Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP)
73-year-old Modi had vowed that his right-wing nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party – or BJP – would win by a huge majority.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures while addressing his supporters during an election campaign rally in India (Photo by Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
But the BJP ended up winning only 240 seats, falling short of the majority of 272 seats in the 543-member parliament, results showed on Tuesday, June 4th.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge during press conference of INDIA alliance in Mumbai on 1st September 2023. Photo by Mandar Deodhar
Meanwhile, a group of opposition parties, known as the INDIA alliance, did much better than expected and won a total of 233 seats.
India's Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi (2L) and president Mallikarjun Kharge (2R) along with other members of parliament take part in a protest in New Delhi on December 22, 2023.(Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)
The coalition is made of more than 20 national and regional parties, which had come together for the first time with the sole aim of defeating Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets women during an election campaign rally on April 14, 2024 in Mysuru, India. (Photo by Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images)
In his 10-year tenure, Modi has been praised for pushing for gender equality, and launching several initiatives to boost rural development.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) displays his inked marked finger after casting his ballot at a polling booth at Ranip, Ahmedabad on May 7, 2024. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)
But he has also been accused of spreading hate speech against Muslims in the country and eroding democracy by cracking down on opposition and independent media.
Protesters hold placards at a demonstration against India's new citizenship law in Mumbai on December 19, 2019. (Photo by PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images)
The BJP was still able to secure a majority and keep Modi as prime minister by forming a coalition with other partner parties.
to supporters after filing his nomination papers to recontest the parliamentary seat in Varanasi on May 14, 2024, during the country's ongoing general election. (Photo by Niharika KULKARNI / AFP)
This was the world’s largest election, with more than 642 million voting between April 19 and June 1 in seven phases.
Kashmiri women voters queue up to cast their ballots at a polling station during the fourth phase of voting in India's general election on May 13, 2024 in Srinagar. (Photo by Yawar Nazir/Getty Images)
Speaking in his victory address in the capital New Delhi, Modi thanked all his supporters for bringing his party back to power for a third consecutive term, calling it “a victory for the world’s largest democracy”.
ndian Prime minister Narendra Modi waves towards supporters during his roadshow on May 13 2024 in Varanasi, India. (Photo by Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images)
He said that BJP will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling all their promises.
Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, during a campaign rally in Delhi, India, on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg
Wendy Chuang
