‘India has rejected Modi’s rhetoric’: British Indians react to election result (The Guardian)

By Neha Gohil

British Indians living across the UK have expressed surprise at the election results in India, with some hoping it will signal a change in the direction of the country.

Narendra Modi returned to power for a historic third term as prime minister, in an election with voting staggered across six weeks and more than 600 million Indians heading to the polls – the biggest exercise of democracy the world has ever seen.

For many, the results signalled a significant turning point in Modi’s premiership after the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) was unable to win an outright majority and the Congress party-led INDIA opposition alliance defied exit polls.

A BJP-led coalition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has since secured a majority in India’s 543-seat Lok Sabha, marking the first time Modi will have to govern the country in coalition.

This story was originally published in theguardian.com. Read the full story here.