Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is falling short of an absolute majority in parliament, but is holding on to power thanks to its coalition allies. The opposition Congress is doing better than expected.

The Election Commission of India has confirmed that the National Democratic Alliance coalition, led by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has secured a parliamentary majority.

According to official figures, Narendra Modi and his allies are winning 285 seats in the lower house (Lok Sabha) out of the required 272 seats.

The general election result, however, is a serious blow to the unsinkable prime minister, who promised his supporters during the election campaign to achieve a "super majority" of 400 seats. His party is losing about 60 seats, meaning that after a decade of one-man rule, 73-year-old Modi will have to reckon with his coalition partners, who are gaining political clout.

Despite the relative setback, Modi has promised to fulfill his main election promise – to turn the Indian economy into the third largest in terms of GDP (India currently ranks 5th). He also said that he would develop defense production, create jobs for young people, increase exports, and help farmers.

Anastasia Chupina