RECORD INDIA ELECTION ENDS AS POLLSTIP MODITRIUMPH Asia
NEW DELHI, May 12, 2014 (AFP) - Indians cast final ballots Monday in a record election that saw 551 million people vote over five weeks, with exit polls predicting a new rightwing government under Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi.
The final phase of voting in 41 constituencies ended at 6:00 pm (1230 GMT), with the first exit polls released soon afterwards pointing to a huge swing towards Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The surveys backed forecasts before voting started on April 7 that the BJP -- and its allies -should be able to reach a majority in parliament after a resounding rejection of the ruling leftist Congress party and the Gandhi political dynasty.
“The politics of arrogance, dynasty and inheritance is being rejected by the people of India,” BJP spokesman and parliamentarian Ravi Shankar Prasad told a press conference.
“The politics of initiative, hard work and accomplishment is being rewarded.” But as the the CNN-IBN and Headlines Today channels showed the party making huge gains across large swathes of the country. Even if Modi and his allies fall short of a majority of 272 seats, the projected results would represent a spectacular rise on the BJP's showing in the last election in 2009 when it won 116 seats against 206 for Congress.
Shortly after polls closed for the last time, the Election Commission gave final figures for the world's biggest election, saying 551 million had voted -- 130 million more than in 2009 -with turnout also at a record high of 66.38 percent. stock market hit a new record high on hopes that Modi can jumpstart the flagging economy, analysts urged caution due to notorious forecasting failures in 2004 and 2009.
The first full survey from CVoter showed the BJP and its allies reaching a majority of 289, while others released by