PM-elect Modi mobbed by crowds on arrival in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of flag-waving supporters mobbed Indian prime minister-elect Narendra Modi as he arrived in New Delhi on Saturday, smiling and flashing victory signs after his party’s crushing win. Modi flew to Delhi’s main airport from his home state of Gujarat shortly before 11:00am to bask in the glory of a landslide for his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A crowd, waiting since early morning but entertained by a marching band and thumping dance music, burst through police barricades at the sight of the 63-year-old leader’s cavalcade. “Modi is our lion! He will work for the people of India, he will work for development, he will work for every Indian,” shouted Om Dutt, a 39-year-old shop owner. The controversial leader, wearing a blue jacket and shirt, opened the door of his car while it drove along, as many strained for a glimpse, took videos on their mobile phones and showered the vehicle in petals. The chief minister of western Gujarat, who has never held national office, is set to drive from the airport to his party’s headquarters in central New Delhi with supporters gathering along the route. The BJP won the first majority in parliament for 30 years on Friday after a campaign by Modi focused on delivering new jobs, development and clean government. The triumph redrew India’s political map, handing him a huge mandate for change and heaping humiliation on the ruling Gandhi political dynasty. “He made Gujarat great, he will make India great,” said BJP party worker and businessman Rahul Sethi, 45, as he waited for his hero at the airport.