Modi claims victory in India’s election but drop in support forces him to rely on coalition partners

By KRUTIKA PATHI, SHEIKH SAALIQ and DAVID RISING
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance coalition has won a majority in parliament, according to official results from India’s Election Commission. Modi had already declared victory for his alliance earlier Tuesday, claiming a mandate to push forward with his agenda, even though his party lost seats to a stronger than expected opposition, which pushed back against his mixed economic record and polarizing politics. More than 640 million votes were cast in the marathon election held over a span of six weeks in the world’s largest democratic exercise.