Election results: Prahlad Modi today congratulated his brother and Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Prahlad Modi today congratulated his brother and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP's massive victory in the Lok Sabha election. "The news of my wife's death was sad and the house was in a shock. But today there is a blend of happiness and sadness," Prahlad Modi told news agency ANI today.
Bhagwatiben, 55, the wife of PM Modi's brother, died of an illness on May 1 in Ahmedabad.
"We respect the people's decision today. We are thankful to all people had given PM Modi a special position in 2014 and now they don't want him to go," Prahlad Modi said.
"Some win and some lose in any election. The opposition's aim was to remove Narendra Modi... but people made it clear who is the chor (thief) and who is not," he said. "People still have faith in PM Modi."
Prahlad Modi was referring to the opposition's frequent attack that PM Modi, who calls himself "chowkidar" (security guard) against corruption, was a thief.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is ahead in 342 of the 542 seats, while the BJP lead has crossed 300. In 2014, the party won 282 seats, the NDA had won 336. It was the first time in more than three decades that a single party won majority on its own. This time, after the sixth phase of polls, BJP chief Amit Shah said the party has crossed the 300 mark.
Among the states, the BJP is ahead in Gujarat, Delhi, Bihar and Maharashtra. It is also ahead in the three heartland states won by the Congress less than six months ago - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
In Uttar Pradesh, which sends the largest number of lawmakers to the Lok Sabha, the BJP has established a huge lead over the Mayawati-Akhilesh Yadav alliance.
In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who fought a pitched battle with the BJP, is ahead. But leads show the BJP has made huge inroads - so much so that a senior leader of Trinamool Congress has called it the "government-in-waiting".