Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party is set to win a comfortable majority in India’s election for the third time in a row, several early exit polls showed, extending his decade in power atop the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
Modi hailed the early exit poll results, saying it showed a victory for the BJP-led alliance. “I can say with confidence that the people of India have voted in record numbers to reelect the NDA government,” he said in a post on social media platform X. He said the BJP’s track record resonated with voters, especially among the poor, and criticized the opposition alliance’s campaign for failing to provide a vision for the country.
The BJP’s strategy of centering its campaign around the hugely-popular Modi appears to have paid off if the exit polls are accurate. The party’s star campaigner, Modi criss-crossed the country holding roadshows and addressing large crowds. The party even titled its manifesto ‘Modi’s Guarantee.’ The win also signals additional trouble for the country’s opposition, especially the Indian National Congress, the largest party in the opposition alliance. Failure to dent the BJP’s mandate for a third straight national election may fuel concerns the Congress party needs an ideological revamp or a change in leadership.