MODI SET FOR HISTORIC 3RD TERM AS PM

NDA crosses the halfway mark, BJP short of majority on its own I.N.D.I.A makes dent in BJP bastions in Hindi heartland

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Tuesday poised to form the government for a third consecutive term notwithstanding crushing losses in three Hindi heartland states after a bitterly fought election that was projected as a referendum on his popularity.

The Bharatiya or Janata Party, whose candidates had contested in the name of Modi, won was ahead in 240 seats and will fall short of the 272 majority mark and need the support of allies in the party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for government formation, a far cry from the 303 and 282 seats it had won in 2019 and 2014 respectively to have a majority on its own.

With support from, BJP's key allies N Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and Nitish Kumar's JD(U), which were leading or tions, Modi laid out his vision for the third term saying it would be a tenure of big decisions and key emphasis would be on uprooting corruption.

It is the first time that 73-year-old Modi will be dependent on allies to be in the government since he came into politics.

"The fight against corruption is becoming tougher by the day. Corruption is being shamelessly glorified for political interest. In our third term, NDA will focus a lot on rooting out corruption of all kinds," Modi said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge termed the poll outcome as the "victory of the people and that of democracy." We had been saying that this battle is between public and Modi...This mandate is against Modi. This is his political and moral defeat.

It is a big defeat for a person who sought votes in his own name. He has suffered a moral setback," Kharge told reporters at the AICC headquarters flanked by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi after the good showing by the Congress.

The elections also highlighted the revival of the main opposition Congress party under Rahul Gandhi, and the unexpected role of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh - under Akhilesh Yadav -- as a giant slayer.