Indian Election: Modi’s party Faces Strong Opposition

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party showed a lead Tuesday, according to early figures reported by India’s Election Commission, but was facing a stronger challenge from the opposition than had been expected.
The counting of more than 640 million votes cast over the past six weeks in the world’s largest democratic exercise was expected to take all day, with Modi widely expected to be elected to a third five-year term when the final result is declared.
If the 73-year-old Modi wins, it would only be the second time an Indian leader has retained power for a third term after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister.
Some four hours into the counting, early leads reported by the Election Commission showed Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party comfortably ahead of the main opposition Congress party.
The preliminary figures showed the BJP ahead in 240 constituencies out of 542 and winning one uncontested race. Congress was leading in 94 constituencies.
Modi’s National Democratic Alliance group was leading in 287 constituencies, while the opposition INDIA alliance, led by the Congress party and its main campaign leader, Rahul Gandhi was leading in 225.
The Election Commission does not release data on the percentage of votes tallied, but counting was to go on throughout the day and early figures were expected to change.
The six-week-long election was seen as a referendum on Modi.
Exit polls on Saturday by major television channels projected a comfortable win for Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] and its alliance called NDA over a broad opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A led by the Congress party and its main campaign leader, Rahul Gandhi.