India election 2024: Modi heading for reduced majority, early results show

Mr Modi, eyeing a historic third consecutive term in office, had set a target of 370 seats for the BJP and 400 seats for his alliance.

But if early trends are borne out in final results due later on Tuesday, the BJP may not even get the 272 seats on its own that are needed for a majority in the lower house of parliament.

The election was seen by many as a referendum on Mr Modi’s decade in office, during which he has transformed many aspects of life in India, so this would be a major upset.

At Congress headquarters, party workers have been celebrating the early results. The Indian markets have been showing jitters – falling more than 2% – testifying to the fact that it’s not been a runaway result so far for the governing alliance.