Will Work Together With All, Including ‘Harshest Critics’, Says Modi

“I would like to tell the nation - and think of it as my promise, aspiration or imagination - the work you have given me, in the coming days I will not do anything with a bad intention,” the Prime Minister said.

He further promised that he will not work towards self-promoting agenda and that his "mind and body” are only for the people of the country.

• To work together with all, including 'my harshest critics'.
• Constitution mandates running government with consensus.
• Constitution supreme; will work under its guidance.

Never in India's past has an election been fought without secularism, inflation or corruption being campaign issues, until now, said PM Modi.

• It was fashionable to wear a fake tag called secularism. From 2014 to 2019, that entire movement has gone silent.
• Not a single party fought the 2019 election under the tag of secularism.

Politicians playing the caste game have faced the end of the stick this election season, said Narendra Modi today. The BJP is changing that narrative, he added.

The only two castes that remain in India are the poor and those who contribute in bringing people out of poverty, Modi said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is dedicated to India's constitution and federalism, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• Congratulate the new governments in Odisha, Andhra, Sikkim & Arunachal
• BJP is dedicated to India's constitution, federalism
• BJP will work together with Indian states for development

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims to have been unable to follow the results closely, he says the gist of the day is that India’s political pundits will have to leave their old ideas behind.

Speaking in front of jubilant party workers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked voters for giving the BJP a historic mandate.

Here are some of the highlights from Modi's address:

• This is the first time an incumbent government has returned with a majority in nearly 30 years.
• This is the highest voter turnout India has seen. The world will have to recognise India's democratic strength.
• Thank Election Commission for carrying out the elections in the most fair manner.

The BJP dedicates this victory to the ordinary citizens of India, said Modi.

BJP President Amit Shah addressed party workers, ahead of Modi’s expected speech. Here are the highlights:

• Modi superhero of BJP's super victory.
• In 17 states, BJP has got more than 50 percent votes.
• Congress has drawn a "big zero" in 17 states and Union Territories.
• It is victory of people, it is a victory of PM Modi's Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas policy
• Politics of casteism, dynasty and appeasement politics has been buried in this massive mandate to BJP.
• Even after so much violence and rigging, BJP won 18 seats in West Bengal. It tells us that in coming days, BJP will establish its might in the state.
• This victory is a win of pure nationalism over the parties supporting the ideology of ‘tukde tukde’ gang.

(With inputs from PTI)

Narendra Modi is poised to get a second term as India’s prime minister with counting trends indicating a simple majority for the BJP.

Latest trends showed the BJP is leading in over 300 seats. This is the first time since 1984 that a political party has amassed 300 seats on its own. The Congress, led by Rajiv Gandhi, won 414 seats that year riding a sympathy wave following Indira Gandhi's assassination. The BJP that year was reduced to just two Lok Sabha seats.

Modi himself is leading at his Varanasi seat in Uttar Pradesh, while Rahul Gandhi is leading in Wayanad. The Congress party leader, however, conceded defeat in Amethi.

The incumbent NDA alliance is ahead in 353 seats while UPA is leading in 90 seats as of 7:35 p.m. The BJP by itself, has leads in 302 seats while Congress is leading in 51 seats.

In general elections 2014, the BJP crossed the 272-mark comfortably on its own, without allies, winning a majority of 282 seats - a gain of 166 compared to the previous general election.

Congress could only manage 44 seats, suffering one of its worst defeats ever. Since then, Congress party President Rahul Gandhi has worked towards rebuilding the party and forming alliances across the nations, in an effort to defeat the Amit Shah-led BJP.