'Greatest electoral triumph': Modi crushes Opposition, swears by democracy

BJP returns with bigger mandate than 2014; Congress decimated in all big states; Rahul Gandhi loses Amethi

Never since Indira Gandhi’s famous 1971 electoral triumph had an incumbent prime minister returned with a majority. Never since 1984 had a party crossed the 300-seat mark.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first ever non-Congress prime minister to return to power after a full term, and also the first in 48 years to return with a majority.

The BJP, at the time of filing this report, was leading in 303 seats, and in 353 seats along with its allies.

The last time a party crossed the 300-seat mark was in 1984, when the Congress won more than