India’s BJP heading for big win

Supporters of Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate for India's main opposition BJP, shower confetti from the top of a bus in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. Picture: Amit Dave

Supporters of Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate for India's main opposition BJP, shower confetti from the top of a bus in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. Picture: Amit Dave

Published May 16, 2014

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New Delhi - Opposition candidate Narendra Modi will be the next prime minister of India, with early election results on Friday showing the pro-business Hindu nationalist and his party headed for the biggest victory the country has seen in 30 years.

The alliance led by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was winning the vote count in 325 parliamentary seats, far more than the majority of 272 required to rule. Even on its own, the BJP was ahead in 273 seats.

The United Progressive Alliance led by the Gandhi family's Congress Party, which has ruled India for the last decade, was leading in just 67 seats - its worst-ever showing.

Modi has promised to unblock stalled investments in power, road and rail projects to revive economic growth that has fallen to a decade low of below five percent. - Reuters

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