Narendra Modi is set to be sworn in for a historic third term as Prime Minister on Sunday, following a significant election where his BJP, along with key allies TDP and JDU, secured the necessary majority. The BJP reached the 272-seat majority mark with the support of Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP and Nitish Kumar’s JDU, despite the party itself finishing with 240 seats, its lowest tally in 15 years.

In his victory speech, Modi took the opportunity to mock the Congress party for their performance, highlighting that they failed to cross the 100-seat mark yet again. He pointed out that Congress had won fewer seats across the last three elections combined than the BJP had in this single election.

Modi remarked, “Even after 10 years, Congress could not touch the figure of 100 seats. If we combine the 2014, 2019, and 2024 elections... Congress did not even get as many seats as BJP got in this election.”

The Congress, which led the INDIA opposition bloc, finished with 99 seats out of the 328 they contested, marking their best performance in 15 years but still falling short of the triple-digit mark.

Despite this jibe, Modi also called for governance through consensus and coalition politics, underscoring the importance of alliances. He emphasized that the BJP's success was built on trust and the solid foundation of its values, which reject the mocking of defeated opponents.

Modi’s reliance on allies was a notable aspect of this election, with TDP and JDU playing pivotal roles by contributing 28 seats, enabling the BJP to form the government. Both Naidu and Kumar have been praised by Modi, who acknowledged their support in his address to NDA MPs.

This election also saw the BJP’s targets of 370 seats for itself and 400+ with allies falling short, largely due to losses in crucial states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. However, the combined strength with its allies has secured Modi’s third term, making him one of the few leaders to achieve this milestone.

As Modi prepares for his swearing-in ceremony, the political landscape shows a reinforced NDA coalition and a continued challenge for the Congress and the INDIA bloc to rise to the majority.