Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday led the National Democratic Alliance to a resounding victory for a second term in office as the BJP-led combine all set to win nearly 350 seats.
While 68-year-old Modi and his party chief Amit Shah registered huge victories in Varanasi and Gandhinagar respectively, Congress president Rahul Gandhi lost his traditional Amethi seat to BJP leader Smriti Irani. However, Rahul Gandhi won from his second seat Wayanad by over four lakh votes.
“Together we grow. Together we prosper. Together we will build a strong and inclusive India. India wins yet again,” Modi tweeted.
After conceding defeat in Amethi, Rahul Gandhi told Smriti Irani, “I hope she takes care of Amethi with love.” He also congratulated Modi for the victory.
As per trends, the BJP and its allies are likely to win 346 seats, up from 336 in 2014. The BJP alone is inching close to 300 seats as against 282 seats won last time.
The new Modi Government is likely to be sworn in for the second term on Sunday.
The BJP’s victory mainly came from the Hindi heartland. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP was leading in 59 of the 80 seats at state. The the Samajwadi Party was ahead in six and Bahujan Samaj Party in 11.
The Modi wave also swept through Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Prades, Chattisgarh, Rajastan and other Hindi-speaking states. It also made inroads in West Bengal Odisha, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
In Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front all set to win 19 out of 20 seats, giving a major set back to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who led the campaign.
