Modi's party fails to maintain total control.
In the Indian parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party, the BJP, lost its majority for the first time in a decade. After counting all the votes on Wednesday, the BJP had won 240 out of the 543 available seats, according to data from the election commission. While they still hold the strongest position, it's not enough for an absolute majority.
Initially, it was expected that Modi would become the second Indian prime minister to govern for three terms in a row after Jawaharlal Nehru. However, this was thwarted by the arrival of opposition parties led by the Congress Party. The Congress Party had a remarkable shift, going from 52 seats in the 2019 election to 99 seats in this one, making them the second strongest force in Parliament. With numerous other opposition parties joining them, speculations suggest that their combined strength reaches 234 seats.
In the 2019 Indian parliamentary election, the BJP had bagged 303 seats alone, more than enough to form a government. Their number along with their allies was 353, promising a comfortable majority for five years. Before the recent election, Modi aimed to further strengthen their power by increasing their majority to over 400 seats. However, this ambitious goal was not achieved.
