NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday led his Bharatiya Janata Party towards a super-sized victory for a second term in office, as his message of nationalism, security, Hindu pride and a New India was wholeheartedly embraced by voters across large swathes of the country.
With the elections establishing the 68-year-old Modi as the most popular leader in decades, the partial vote count released by the Election Commission showed that BJP will not only surpass its 2014 performance but also cross 300 seats on its own.
Until 7.30 p.m., the BJP had won 42 seats and was leading in 260 of the 542 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls in seven phases in April and May. It demolished the combined opposition with the Congress Party stuck at 11 confirmed victories and a lead in 40 seats, according to the partial results.
Modi easily won his seat in Varanasi with a margin of over 4.3 lakh votes while party president Amit Shah took Gandhinagar in their home state of Gujarat by over 5.5 lakh votes.
“With all+ development for all+ everybody’s confidence = victorious India,” Modi tweeted. “Together we grow. Together we prosper. Together we will build a strong and inclusive India. India wins yet again,” he said. (AGENCIES)