India vote count shows Modi alliance heading to majority but no landslide

Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrate as they watch the latest vote counting results displaying live on a screen for country's general election at party's office in Bengaluru on Monday, June 4, 2024. Vote counting was underway in India's election on June 4, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi all but assured a triumph for his Hindu nationalist agenda that has thrown the opposition into disarray and deepened concerns for minority rights. - AFP

NEW DELHI (Reuters): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alliance was winning a majority of seats about halfway through the count in the general election on Tuesday, but the numbers were well short of the landslide predicted in exit polls, TV channels said.

Modi's own Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was falling short of a majority of its own in the 543-member parliament, the trends showed. Having to depend on allies to form the government could introduce some uncertainty in policy-making as Modi has ruled with an authoritative hold in the last decade.