NEW: Modi Loses Majority in India Election Shocker

Indian voters dealt Prime Minister Narendra Modi a stunning setback, denying the Hindu nationalist leader an outright majority as they expressed discontent over struggles with high unemployment and inflation, and ignored his polarizing religious appeals.

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Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is still poised to return for a third term, but will have to rely on allies in his coalition to cross the 272-seat threshold for a majority in the lower house of parliament to form a government. It is the first election since 2014, when Modi won his first term as prime minister, that the BJP hasn’t scored an absolute majority on its own.

Partial results show the BJP is projected to win 240 seats. It won 303 seats in 2019. 

Ed Morrissey

This story has been evolving all morning. At first, it appeared that the exit polls missed the mark but that Modi would maintain his majority. It turned out even worse than that, though, according to the latest reports, and now it's not even clear whether Modi will survive the humiliation. Modi is pro-Western but a Hindu fundamentalist that has pushed hardline policies against other religions -- Muslims in particular but also Christian communities. It turns out that voters care a lot more about the economy in India too. 

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