Modi thanke­d voters in Gujara­t, Himach­al Prades­h for backin­g ruling Hindu nation­al partyNEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared victory Monday in two state elections, including a closely-fought race in his stronghold of Gujarat where the charismatic leader fronted the campaign. Modi thanked voters in Gujarat, his home state in India’s west, and the northern Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh, for backing the ruling Hindu national party in the local polls. “I bow to the people of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh for their affection and trust in BJP,” Modi posted on his official Twitter account, using the initials of his Bharatiya Janata Party. That result would return the BJP to power for a sixth consecutive term in the bellwether state, but slash its majority from 115 seats in the last election. The ruling party was also poised to wrest control of Himachal Pradesh from Congress, which recently elected Rahul Gandhi unopposed as its new leader to replace his mother Sonia Gandhi.

Source: The Express Tribune December 18, 2017 13:17 UTC