NEW DELHI, May 16 – India’s hardline Hindu politician Narendra Modi, prime ministerial candidate of main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), may be sworn in as the next prime minister on May 21, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Modi will be formally elected as BJP leader by the party on Saturday and the next BJP government is likely to take oath on May 21,” sources said.
BJP is set to win 278 seats on its own, six more than the majority mark.If the BJP crosses the majority mark on its own in the 543-seat lower house of parliament, it can form the government on its own without support from National Democratic Alliance allies.
After winning two parliamentary seats in where he contested the general elections, Modi went to seek his mother’s blessings in his home state of Gujarat before tweeting: “India has won! This is India’s victory. Good days will soon be here.”
India’s mammoth general elections, which began on April 7 and concluded on May 12, saw a record turnout of 66.38 percent and beating the previous record in 1984.
Exit polls have predicted a win for BJP and a defeat for the ruling Congress.
-BERNAMA
