India election: Modi claims victory but may fall short of outright majority | BBC News

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won a third consecutive term in a much tighter general election than anticipated.

His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may fall short of a majority, despite confident claims that it was heading for a clearcut victory.

The results are a personal blow to Mr Modi, who has always secured majorities in elections as both chief minister of Gujarat state and India’s prime minister and has dominated the country's politics for a decade.

The verdict marks a surprising revival for the Congress Party-led INDIA opposition alliance, defying earlier predictions of its decline.

More than 640 million people voted in a marathon seven-week election, hailed as a "world record" by election authorities.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Yogita Limaye in Delhi.

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