Modi claims 'historic' victory in India's election but his party faces setbacks

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday claimed victory in India's elections, marking what is expected to be his third term as prime minister, but his Bharatiya Janata Party is facing setbacks, as it appears that it will not be on the outright majority for the first time under Modi.

"This is a historical feat in India’s history," Modi wrote on X, formerly Twitter, as the results rolled in.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party won 228 seats and is leading in 12 in India's parliament, giving his party a plurality, according to the Election Commission of India as of 2 p.m. ET. Of the 543 seats in parliament, the winner of 45 seats has yet to be declared. Regardless, Modi's party will need to rely on a coalition alliance to secure his third five-year term. 

When Modi first assumed office in 2014, his party won an outright majority. It also won a majority of seats in 2019, but on both occasions, it used allied parties to create a coalition to expand those majorities, CNN reported.

If a coalition is formed under Modi, he is expected to be the second prime minister ever to win three terms in a row, following India's independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru, according to Reuters.

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