Chief Minister Narendra Modi He claimed victory for his coalition in India's general election on Tuesday, despite a lackluster performance by his own party, facing a stronger-than-expected challenge from the opposition, which dismissed the leader's mixed economic record and political polarization.

Modi said National Democratic Alliance Will form the government for the third consecutive term. ““Today's victory is the victory of the world's largest democracy.”He said at his party headquarters.

For the first time Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party He came to power in 2014 when it seemed unlikely that he would win a majority on his own, but the prime minister's coalition was expected to be elected to a third five-year term in the world's largest vote.

If he has to rely on coalition support to form the government, it will be a blow to the 73-year-old who was expecting a landslide victory.

People have faith in NDA [Alianza Democrática Nacional, por sus siglas en inglés] For the third time in a row,” he announced. Modi On the social network X, mentions his alliance. “This is a historic event in India,” he highlighted.

Both analysts and polls predicted a comfortable win Modi And his party, but everything is the party of the leader, The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian People's Party), and its allies will not be able to achieve that overwhelming result and will have to rely on their alliance partners, according to Election Commission figures.

With nearly 99% of the votes counted, the BJP has secured 36.7% of the votes, which is slightly lower than in the last 2019 elections.

Modi He was re-elected in his constituency Varanasi, the holiest city of Hinduism also known as Benares. He won for the third time and this time with 152,000 more votes than the second candidate.

In all, the BJP won 239 seats and its allies 52, leaving it with 291 seats, more than an absolute majority of 272 representatives in the 543-seat chamber.

The main opposition party, Indian National Congress(It was anointed by post-independence Prime Ministers Nehru and Indira Gandhi), it has more than doubled its number with 99 legislators, compared to 52 seats in the outgoing Parliament.

“Voters punished the BJP,” said Indian National Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who was re-elected in his southern constituency of Wayanad. “I'm sure the people of this country will respond well.”

A decade later he promoted his Hindu nationalist agenda. ModiThe 73-year-old is heading for a third term in power at this rising power, which is a member of the BRICS grouping along with Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. This, despite accusations from opposition parties and concerns about the rights of religious minorities.

A total of 642 million people participated in these elections, divided into seven phases over six weeks, facing the logistical challenge of organizing elections in the world's most populous country of 1.4 billion people.

It is estimated that more than two-thirds of India's population belong to castes, the ancient social stratification into which Hindus are divided.

Politicians of all stripes lauded the lower castes with social action programmes, promises of employment and special grants to fight discrimination.

But BJP Modi He distinguished himself from others by imposing himself with a different discourse: think first about your religion and then about your caste.

Opponents of the prime minister improved their poll numbers despite facing legal action they denounced as part of the political campaign. Modi Against dissent.

Center for American Studies Freedom House This year, he pointed out, the BJP “used government institutions more to attack its political rivals”.

As an example, opponents cite the case Arvind Kejriwal The chief minister of the capital, New Delhi, was arrested in March in a corruption case and released in May to campaign before being jailed again on Sunday.

A British colony until 1947, the prime minister's policy also raises doubts among the Muslim religious minority of more than 200 million believers in the constitutionally secular country.

Elections in this huge country represented a logistical challenge, with countless ballot boxes in such megacities. New Delhi and BombayBut in isolated forest areas and in the conflict-ridden Kashmir region, at the foothills The Himalayas.

Electronic voting machines were used to facilitate recounting of votes.

Major Indian television networks have reporters in front of each center who compete to announce the results as soon as possible.

The Electoral Commission chief celebrated a “world record” 642 million votes with 66.3% participation in the election.

(With information from AP and AFP)