America News Agency

Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party lost its majority in parliament. It dealt an unexpected blow to the prime minister and forced him to negotiate with coalition partners to return to power.

When all the votes were counted early Wednesday morning, it was clear that the landslide lead predicted in the polls for the BJP had not materialized and that, instead, there was a backlash in large parts of the country against the powerful prime minister and his Hindu nationalist policies.

The party lost 62 seats, totalling 240, short of the 272 needed for a parliamentary majority.

It is the first time since Modi was elected in 2014 that the BJP has failed to win a clear majority. However, with its political allies, known as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), it won around 292 seats, enough to form a majority government that will remain in power for the next five years and reinstate Modi for a third term.

Meanwhile, the opposition alliance, known by its acronym INDIA, outperformed expectations, winning over 230 seats. The coalition of more than 20 national and regional opposition parties had come together for the first time in this election to defeat Modi.