NEW DELHI: Triumphant Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi pledged to make it “India’s century” as he propelled his party to a stunning electoral triumph Friday with the biggest winning margin for 30 years.
Preliminary results at the end of the marathon six-week election showed his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) almost certain to secure the first parliamentary majority by a single party since 1984.
“I want to make the 21st century India’s century. It will take 10 years, not very long,” said the four-term chief minister of western Gujarat who is expected to be sworn in as prime minister next week.
The results exceeded all forecasts. Petals were showered outside BJP offices around the country, sweets were handed out to celebrate and painted elephants paraded in front of party headquarters in New Delhi.
Partial figures from the Election Commission showed the BJP winning more than the 272 seats required for a majority on its own in the 543-seat parliament, with victories by its allies taking it easily in excess of 330.
The Congress party, the national secular force that has run India for all but 13 years since independence, was set to crash to its worst ever result with fewer than 50 seats, less than a quarter of its tally in 2009.
Pakistan congratulates Modi
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hailed an “impressive victory”.
Modi welcom in US
US Secretary of State John Kerry tweeted to say that he looked forward to working with Modi.
The United States swiftly courted India’s future Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, saying the victorious Hindu nationalist would be welcome to visit despite a previous visa ban.
White House spokesperson Jay Carney also said President Barack Obama hoped to speak to Modi by telephone soon, following the BJP landslide election victory.
British Prime Minister David Cameron also immediately invited him to London.
10:15pm
The BJP has bagged 266 Lok Sabha seats and has a lead in 16 more. According to the Election Commission of India, the BJP has secured 31.2% of the votes across the country.
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9:55pm
The BJP has secured 259 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India, and has a lead in 24 constituencies. Votes from 446 of the 543 constituencies have been counted so far.
A Reuters analysis of Modi’s sweeping election victory shows that many of India’s Muslim voters appear to have put aside their fears and backed the BJP. Read the rest of the story here.
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9:00pm
Congress manages two-third majority in Arunachal Pradesh Assembly election by winning 40 out of 60 seats, while Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) secures two thirds majority securing 22 of the 32 seats in the Himalayan state.
BJP has now secured 243 seats with an expected total of 282, while Congress sits at 37 Lok Sabha seats.
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8:43pm
BJP supporters celebrate the party’s landmark victory which has secured 234 seats so far and is leading in 48.
BJP supporters set off firecrackers at Dashasamedh Ghat during the nightly Ganga Arti puja ceremony to celebrate the BJP’s election results in Varanasi. PHOTO: AFP
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7:57pm
BJP have secured 211 seats out of 327 that have been accounted for. Meanwhile Congress wins 32 seats and AAP wins 4.
Press Trust of India reports that Congress Working Committee will meet on May 19 following their worst ever electoral performance.
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7:27pm
BJP secures three seats in Jammu and Kashmir.
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7:21pm
“The heat of the election is over and the people have given their verdict which says that we need to take India forward to fulfil the dreams of India’s 1.2 billion people,” Modi said, according to AFP.
Modi added that “there are no enemies in democracy, there is only opposition. I will take your love and convert it into progress before I return.”
The crowds of thousands festooned in BJP’s saffron colour erupted in cheers amid screams of “Modi! Modi!” as he took to the stage, flashing a victory sign and smiling broadly.
“I want to take all of you with me to take this country forward… it is my responsibility to take all of you with me to run this country,” he added.
“Everyone’s support and everyone’s development is our mantra, and these are not hollow words, this is our spirit. That is why the people have given us a clear majority.”
BJP now stands at 188 seats while Congress has won 30.
BJP’s Narendra Modi (3rd R) greets well-wishers at Shri Kamalam, the BJP Gujarat’s new headquarters in Gandhinagar. PHOTO: AFP
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6:45pm
BJP wins 164 seats and is leading in 119, while Congress wins 28 and is leading in 17.
According to The Hindu, AAP finishes as runner-up in all seven constituencies in Delhi as BJP wins seven out of seven.
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6:28pm
I will be bound by the constitution and will take every segment with me, says Modi according to the Indian Express.
Results are in for 247 seats, out of which BJP has won 154 seats and Congress has won 27.
In celebration of his victory, Modi chants national song of India “Vande Mataram,” and the crowd chants with him, reports The Hindu.
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6:00pm
Modi tells cheering crowd in Vadodara in his home state of Gujarat that “good times are coming”, AFP reports.
According to the Times of India, Modi says he has “always wanted to address the nation from Vadodara.”
“Gujarat has created history by giving all the 26 seats to BJP,” Modi adds.
With 135 seats, the BJP secures nearly a quarter of Lok Sabha seats. It is also leading in an additional 148 seats.
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5:40pm
Lalu Prasad Yadav, chief of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) refuses to congratulate Modi on his win.
Yadav’s wife Rabri Devi, former chief minister of Bihar, and his daughter Misa Bharti failed to win from Saran and Patliputra constituencies, reports NDTV.
BJP has now secured 121 seats, and Congress stands at 18.
Furthermore, Sushma Swaraj of the BJP wins from Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh beating Lakshman Singh of the Congress
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5:33pm
Sonia Gandhi wins the seat in Rae Bareli defeating BJP’s Ajay Agarwal, while her son Rahul Gandhi defeats Smriti Irani and Kumar Vishwas thereby retaining his seat in Amethi. This brings Congress’s total seats to 18.
Meanwhile, BJP has now secured 117 seats.
Fellow Congress leader Tharoor, whose victory was announced earlier today tweets:
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5:18pm
BJP wins 108 seats, while Congress wins 15.
Meanwhile, Meenakashi Lekhi of BJP wins from New Delhi, defeating Ashish Khetan of AAP by 16,2708 votes and Ajay Makan of Congress loses.
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5:12pm
BJP wins 105 seats and is leading in 175. Meanwhile, Congress wins 14 seats and is leading in 33 others.
BJP wins 16 seats and leads in 55 in Uttar Pradesh.
Meanwhile in Arunachal Pradesh, Congress has taken the lead securing 31 assembly seats while BJP wins only 3.
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4:50pm
“I would like to start by congratulating the new government. They have been given a mandate by the people of this country. We have done pretty badly. As vice-president of the party I hold myself responsible,” Rahul said to AFP.
As the scion of India’s most famous dynasty, Rahul Gandhi was meant to work some much-needed family magic over the ruling Congress party.
But after a lacklustre election campaign during which he struggled to connect with voters and was outshone by his sister, he came under more fire this week for going missing at a crucial time.
India Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi (L) and Vice President Rahul Gandhi arrive to address a press conference at Congress headquarters in New Delhi. PHOTO: AFP
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4:40pm
C Gopalakrishnan of the AIADMK wins Nilgiris seat in Tamil Nadu, beating A Raja of the DMK by 104,940 votes.
Maheish Girri of the BJP wins the East Delhi seat, beating Aam Aadmi Party rival Rajmohan Gandhi by 190,463 votes.
BJP wins 78 seats and is leading in 201 others. While Congress wins 8 seats and leads in 39.
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4:34pm
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4:28pm
AFP quoted BJP President Rajnath Singh, referring to the flower symbol of his party, “It is dawn of a new era. The lotus has bloomed all over India now.”
“I appeal to my workers that even in this historic victory they maintain discipline and calm, against any section or people,” he added, hinting at the fears of religious tensions.
Sonia Gandhi also congratulates Modi. India’s Gandhis say they take responsibility for Congress defeat.
“We understand that victory and loss is part of democracy,” Sonia told reporters in New Delhi.
“We respect this decision. I take responsibility for this defeat,” she added, in remarks echoed by her 43-year-old son, who led national campaigning for the first time.
Indian members of a band dance as they play in front of the headquarters office of the BJP in New Delhi. PHOTO: AFP
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4:16pm
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday afternoon called BJP’s Narendra Modi to congratulate him.
He invited Modi to visit Pakistan.
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4:10pm
Official Results:
Kirron Kher of the BJP wins from Chandigarh, beating Pawan Kumar Bansal of the Congress party by 69,642 votes.
K Chandrasekhar Rao of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi wins the Medak seat in Andhra Pradesh, beating his Congress party rival by 397,029 votes.
Ramesh Bidhuri of the BJP wins the South Delhi seat, beating his Aam Aadmi Party rival by 107,000 votes.
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3:58pm
Famous Bollywood celebrities weigh in on BJP’s victory:
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3:48pm
BJP has now won 47 seats. Congress has only managed to secure 5 till now and concedes defeat.
Congress, who have been criticised for a lack of control over corruption and inflation, is looking at its worst-ever election result. This defeat would leave the party — the only national secular force that has ruled India for all but 13 years of its history — in tatters and raise doubts about whether the Gandhi dynasty can provide the country a fourth prime minister.
The scale of the BJP’s victory is the biggest in India since 1984.
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3:35pm
Former Pakistan Ambassador Sherry Rehman notes BJP’s victory and hopes for better Indo-Pak relations.
Earlier in March, two of Modi’s aides had said India would get tougher on territorial disputes with China and in its old rivalry with Pakistan if he becomes prime minister. On the campaign trail, Modi had warned Beijing to shed its “mindset of expansionism” and in the past he has also railed against Pakistan for attacks by Muslim militants in India.
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3:25pm
Update from Shashi Tharoor after defeating Rajagopal.
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3:22pm
BJP has now won 26 seats.
#CongratsNaMo is trending in India.
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3:15pm
UK Prime Minister David Cameron congratulates Modi on his victory.
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3:10pm
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor wins from Thiruvananthapuram, reported India Today.
Famous Bollywood actor and wife of Anupam Kher, Kirron Kher of BJP leads Pawan Kumar Bansal of INC by 63388 votes, reported Press Information Bureau India.
Shabana Azmi congratulates Kher on her lead.
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2:54pm
BJP has won 20 seats so far while Congress has only won 3. Aam Aadmi Party has still not been able to secure a seat.
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2:44pm
BJP’s Narendra Modi wins from Vadodara, beating his Congress rival by 570,128 votes.
Modi’s promises to revive the flagging economy have won him corporate cheerleaders, while his rags-to-riches story and reputation as a clean and efficient administrator satisfy many Indians’ desire for strong leadership.
He was always assured the votes of his core Hindu nationalist supporters, but his election pitch has drawn the urban middle classes as well as the poor, whose loyalty has traditionally been to Congress and its welfare schemes.
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2:35pm
According to the Election Commission of India, BJP has won 13 seats and is leading in 265 others.
Congress has won 1 seat and is leading in 41 others.
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2:16pm
The first win for the Congress is from Bihar’s Kishanganj seat. Mohammad Asrarul Haque beat his BJP rival Dilip Kumar Jaiswal by 194,612 votes.
P P Mohammed Faisal of the Nationalist Congress Party wins the Lakshadweep Lok Sabha seat beating sitting Congress MP Hamdullah Sayeed by a margin of 1,535 votes.
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2:10pm
Modi thanks his supporters for their good wishes and blessings.
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2:05pm
BJP supporters, happy with the election results so far, celebrate on the streets and social media.
Indian supporters of BJP celebrate outside a counting centre in Siliguri on May 16, 2014. PHOTO: AFP
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1:58pm
B Sreeramulu of the BJP wins the Bellary Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka beating N Y Hanumanthappa of the Congress by a margin of 85,144 votes.
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1:48pm
Anant Kumar Hedge of the BJP officially wins the Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka beating Prashant Deshpande of the Congress by a margin of 140,700 votes.
A BJP victory and a Modi premiership would usher in a new style of leadership by an abrasive Hindi-speaking nationalist drawn from outside the usual Delhi power circles.
Indian election officials carry sealed Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) at a counting centre in Hyderabad on May 16, 2014. PHOTO: AFP
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1:42pm
According to NDTV, Manmohan Singh will formally resign tomorrow. Sources say that he will also be addressing the nation after meeting the president.
Manmohan Singh is the 14th and current Prime Minister of India. He assumed office in 2004 and is the first Sikh to hold this position.
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1:34pm
Nalin Kumar Kateel of the BJP officially wins the Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka beating Janardhana Poojary of the Congress by a margin of 143,709 votes.
BJP’s victory would leave Congress, the only national secular force that has ruled India for all but 13 years of its history, in tatters and raise doubts about whether the Gandhi dynasty can provide the country a fourth prime minister.
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1:28pm
BJP’s Arjun Lal Meena wins from Udaipur constituency in Rajasthan, defeating his Congress opponent by 236,762 votes, according to official results.
BJP candidate Lalubhai Babubhai Patel officially wins from Daman and Diu constituency and BJP’s Narendra Keshav Sawaikar wins South Goa by a margin of 32,330 votes.
The BJP’s previous best showing was in elections in 1998 and 1999 when it won 182 seats and ran the country until a shock defeat to Congress in 2004.
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1:18pm
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called Modi and congratulated him on his party’s victory in the Lok Sabha elections.
Modi has also sought blessings from his mother:
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1:05pm
In a Twitter message, BJP President Rajnath Singh said:
The alliance led by the BJP and possibly the party alone, was headed for a majority in parliament, giving Modi the most decisive mandate for any leader since the 1984 assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi propelled her son to office.
Unlike his predecessors, Modi will not have to deal with unruly coalition partners as he implements reform. That could usher in profound economic changes, and he will try to replicate his success in attracting investment and building infrastructure in Gujarat, the state he has governed for 12 years.
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12:55pm
Early election results are showing that the alliance led by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is winning the vote count in 332 parliamentary seats, far more than the majority of 272 required to rule.
Even on its own, the BJP is ahead in 278 seats.
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12:40pm
Indian leader Narendra Modi promised “good days are coming” on Friday in his first reaction to a historic victory by his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in national elections.
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10:28am
“It seems very bleak at the moment,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi admitted early in the day, with preliminary figures showing the BJP leading in 231 out of 460 constituencies where counting had begun.
Congress led in just 48.
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“I will accept victory on behalf of the BJP,” party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi told NDTV news channel.
Tonnes of sweets and fireworks have been delivered to BJP headquarters in New Delhi in anticipation of a landslide, while party workers beat drums and waved flags in Gujarat on Friday.
Stock markets, which have risen 5.0 percent in the past week, surged again. The benchmark index known as the Sensex jumped more than four percent on Friday morning to a record high.
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