Modi expected to get 3rd term but partial India count suggests narrower win that represents setback

By KRUTIKA PATHI and SHEIKH SAALIQ
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coalition is leading in a majority of seats in India’s general election. That’s according to partial figures. But Modi and his allied are facing a stronger challenge from the opposition than expected after it pushed back against the leader’s mixed economic record and polarizing politics. For the first time since Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party swept to power in 2014, it might not secure a majority on its own. The prime minister was still expected to be elected to a third five-year term in the world’s largest democratic exercise. If Modi has to rely on coalition support to govern, it would be a stunning blow for the 73-year-old. He had hoped for a landslide victory.