BJP declares 'new era' for India as Congress concedes defeat

NEW DELHI: India's triumphant Hindu nationalists declared “the start of a new era” in the world's second most-populous nation as the ruling Congress declared defeat in elections that laid bare anger about sickly economic growth and rampant corruption. Preliminary results and media projections at the climax of the marathon six-week election showed the BJP on track for the first parliamentary majority by a single party in 30 years. The stunning results exceeded all forecasts, as firecrackers exploded at party offices around the country and sweets were handed out in celebrations that began only a few hours after the first figures filtered out. “This is the beginning of change, a people's revolution and the start of a new era,” senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar told AFP at party headquarters in New Delhi. Narendra Modi ✔ @narendramodi Follow I look forward to receiving your good wishes on the specially created Victory Wall http://victorywall.narendramodi.in #CongratsNaMo 1:07 PM - 16 May 2014 Narendra Modi Grateful for your good wishes. Thank You for reposing your faith in NDA. This could not have been possible without your constant support & blessings. Share your good wishes on this specially created... Narendra Modi @narendramodi The Congress party, the national secular force that has run India for all but 13 years since independence, was set to crash to its worst ever result after a decade in power. “We accept defeat. We are ready to sit in the opposition,” senior Congress leader and spokesman Rajeev Shukla told reporters at party headquarters in New Delhi. “Modi promised the moon and stars to the people. People bought that dream,”he added. Media projections showed the BJP winning more than the 272 seats required for a majority on its own, with victories by its allies taking it easily in excess of 300. Stock markets, which have risen 5.0 percent in the past week, surged again. The benchmark Sensex index jumped more than six percent on Friday to a record high. The disastrous showing for Congress is another blow to the scion of the Gandhi dynasty, 43-year-old Rahul, whose first performance as chief campaigner will likely lead to dissent. The country's most illustrious political family has provided three prime ministers but preliminary results showed Rahul with only a wafer-thin lead in his constituency of Amethi. Singh calls Modi to congratulate him on election victory Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called Narendra Modi to congratulate him on his party's thumping victory in the country's general election, Singh's office said in a tweet. “Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh calls Shri Narendra Modi and congratulated him on his party's victory in the Lok Sabha (parliamentary) elections,” he said on his official Twitter account.