India's BJP scripts historic victory in general elections  

印度改革派莫迪將出任總理

India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday created history by winning the general elections by a landslide, the most resounding victory by any party in the last 30 years. [Photo /Chinanews.com]

India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday created history by winning the general elections by a landslide, the most resounding victory by any party in the last 30 years, decimating the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty-led ruling Congress Party.

The BJP has bagged 284 seats on its own -- 12 more than the halfway mark of 272 -- and 338 seats with its allies in the National Democratic Alliance, in the 543-member Lower House of Parliament (Lok Sabha), according to India's independent Election Commission.

"India has won. Good days are ahead," tweeted Narendra Modi, the hardline Hindu politician who steered the BJP to such a landslide victory, as he posted a "selfie" of his mother blessing him on his social media site, soon after trends indicated BJP's massive win earlier in the day.

Sources said the 63-year-old three-time chief minister of the western state of Gujarat may be sworn in as the next prime minister of India on May 21. Modi has won both parliamentary seats -- Vadodara in Gujarat and Varanasi in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh -- by huge margins.

At a victory rally in Vadodara later in the day, Modi thanked the people there for helping him win the polls in the constituency by 570,000 votes, a record number.

In fact, except in the southern state of Kerala, the BJP has won decisively in almost all the other 28 states of India. And, in Uttar Pradesh, the battleground state of India, the BJP has won over 70 out of 80 seats.

Hailing the party's victory, BJP chief Rajnath Singh said it marked a "new era" for India as people vented out their frustration against the Congress' 10 years of misrule. "We will now rewrite India's success story," he told the media at the party headquarters in the national capital.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her 43-year-old son Rahul Gandhi, who was party's prime ministerial candidate, accepted moral responsibility for the grand old party's worst ever defeat in general elections, but also congratulated the BJP for the massive win.

"I personally take responsibility for the party's defeat," said Rahul Gandhi, whose party managed to get barely 44 seats on its own and less than 60 with its allies in the United Progressive Alliance.

World leaders who congratulated Modi on his win included Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot.

"Congratulations @narendramodi on victory in India's elections. Keen to work together to get the most from UK-India relationship," tweeted Cameron, who was among the first world leaders to greet Modi.

Experts said that though Modi is accused of keeping mum during the 2002 communal riots of Gujarat, in which over 1,000 people, mainly minority Muslims, were killed, he is perceived as a no- nonsense, can-do leader who stands for development and muscular nationalism.

"Despite such allegations against him, Modi campaigned on promises he would revive the country's slowing economic growth. So, the people trusted him. Moreover, the Congress faced anti- incumbency due to its failure to tackle corruption and inflation," said Delhi-based Prof. Ajay Singh.