PM Modi thanks NDA allies in victory speech as he heads for a coalition govt

Even as all results were not yet officially announced, the report card shows PM Modi's '400 paar' call is far from reality with the NDA looking to finish somewhere marginally above 290.

The BJP is at 240-plus, far below the magic figure of 272 it needed to clinch a simple majority on its own. The drop is seen as a culmination of a boost to the Opposition.

The Congress alone expects to win around 100 seats, up from the 52 it won in 2019, while regional parties like Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh did exceptionally well at the cost of BJP.

The low score for the BJP means that it would have to bank on its allies heavily to form the government, something the party has not done since 2019.

In fact, after winning 303 seats in 2019, the BJP had rationed the cabinet berths for allies, a factor that had upset Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Therefore it is not a surprise for PM Modi to mention in his victory speech not only Nitish Kumar but also Andhra Pradesh ally Chandrababu Naidu, who, together, could add 28 seats to the NDA tally. The majority mark in the 545-member Lok Sabha is 272.

"I assure the people of the four states that went to assembly polls that the Centre will not leave any stone unturned for their development... Under Nitish Babu, the NDA fared well in Bihar," PM Modi said. 

He also gave a shout out to the BJP workers saying they should not lose sight of the positives.

He went on to say that getting a third straight term in the government is a historic record in itself.

Speaking of Modi's guarantee, his big campaign weapon, he said: "I would like to reiterate that I will work for 18 hours if you work for 10 hours. We Indians will take the country forward. In the third term, the country will write a chapter of big decisions, and it's Modi's Guarantee."

"People have placed their faith in NDA, for a third consecutive time! This is a historical feat in India's history," PM Modi said in a post on X.

"I bow to the Janata Janardan for this affection and assure them that we will continue the good work done in the last decade to keep fulfilling the aspirations of people," said PM Modi, who won from Varanasi seat by a margin of 1.5 lakh votes.

"I also salute all our Karyakartas for their hard work. Words will never do justice to their exceptional efforts," PM Modi said.

The third straight victory for a Prime Minister is a record that has not been replicated since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru, he reminded the workers.

Meanwhile, the party has added a few more states to its kitty by winning Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh along with ally Chandrababu Naidu. The party has also retained Arunachal Pradesh.

The win made Modi begin his address to BJP workers with chants of "Jai Jagannath" on Tuesday.

The BJP swept the Odisha Assembly elections, winning 50 seats and leading 28 others in 39 other constituencies in the 147-member Odisha Assembly.

"The BJP is going to form a government in Odisha and even in the Lok Sabha election, Odisha performed beautifully. This will be the first time that the land of Lord Jagannath will have a BJP Chief Minister," Modi said.

Lauding his party's performance in assembly elections, he said: "BJP has won majorly in Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim. Congress has been wiped out in these states."

"BJP won a seat in Kerala as well, our party workers in Kerala have made a lot of sacrifices," he added.