Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) had been expected to easily win a majority in coalition with smaller allies, but official results after eight hours of counting showed the party ahead in at least 290 seats, enough to claim an outright victory. This year's polls, held over seven phases starting on April 11, have been described as a contest for the soul of India.
They pitted Modi's Hindu nationalist government against a disparate group of opposition parties including the Congress, whose secular vision has defined the country for most of the past 72 years.
