TRANSCRIPT
(Sounds of cheers and chanting)
Supporters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chant for him at a function in the Indian capital, Delhi.
The 73-year-old Indian Prime Minister, who's been in the job since 2014, has been returned for a historic third consecutive term.
He's the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, which is part of the wider National Democratic Alliance, or N-D-A.
The NDA has won 286 seats at this election.
Mr Modi opened his victory speech by praising the Hindu deity, Jagannath.
"Hail Mother India! Hail Lord Jagannath! I am indebted to all the countrymen for their affection, love, and blessings. Today is an auspicious Tuesday and on this pious day, it is definite that NDA will make a government for a third consecutive time."
But the election results haven't gone all his way, with his party losing its parliamentary majority for the first time in a decade.
His BJP has won only 240 seats.
It's far from the landslide some had predicted.
It's far from the record 303 they won at the last election, in 2019.
And, crucially, it's far from the 272 the B-J-P needs to govern in its own right, meaning, for the first time, Mr Modi will lead a coalition government.
Nevertheless, Mr Modi is talking up this election as not only a win for him, but the entire nation of nearly one and a half billion people.
"We all are very grateful to the people of this country as they have expressed their trust in the BJP and NDA. This victory is a win for the world's largest democracy."
Since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Modi has developed something of a cult of personality, leading to an almost fanatical devotion amongst his supporters.
But a reduced majority brings questions of reduced authority, even for the charismatic Mr Modi.
Still, Mr Modi is promoting an ambitious third term in government, promising big things for India's powerful economy in key sectors.
"We, Indians, will walk together towards the development of the country and in this third term, the country will write a new chapter of big decisions. There will be faster development in electronics, semiconductors, and other new sectors."
Certainly, Mr Modi's chief opponents are taking heart from the result.
Rahul Gandhi is the leader of the Congress Party, the main party in the opposition alliance, known as the India Alliance.
They're leading the vote count in more than 230 seats.
The son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and grandson of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he says the election result is a rejection of Mr Modi's brash methods.
"The country has unanimously and clearly stated: we do not like the way they have run this country, we do not appreciate the way they have attacked the constitution, we do not appreciate the way they have run this country for the last deacde. So, that is a huge message to Mr Narendra Modi."
Another result from this election Mr Modi won't like seeing is in Punjab, in the country's north.
31-year-old Amritpal Singh was arrested and jailed last year under one of Mr Modi's controversial tough security laws.
He and hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station armed with swords and firearms, demanding the release of one of his aides.
Mr Singh ran as a candidate in this election in the seat of Khadoor Sahib in Punjab, and won, getting nearly 200,000 votes.
He wasn't in Khadoor Sahib to celebrate.
He's in a high-security prison in Assam, nearly 3,000 kilometres away.
His election sparks government concerns about the revival of a deadly Sikh militancy in India's north.
But his father, Tarsem Singh, says his election shows the government is not telling the full truth about the issue.
"I want to thank all the people, who, despite the heat, stood by a man with humble background. The verdict of the people has crushed the government's narrative of maligned the image of Sikhs around the world."
