Modi - India's new Prime Minister

Published May 16, 2014
An Indian party worker holds a smartphone decorated with stickers bearing the image of the Chief Minister of the western Indian state of Gujarat and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at the party's head office in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
An Indian party worker holds a smartphone decorated with stickers bearing the image of the Chief Minister of the western Indian state of Gujarat and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at the party's head office in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
Indian supporters of the Chief Minister of the western state of Gujarat and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi dance at the party headquarters as news came in of the party's election results in Gandhinagar. – Photo by AFP
Indian supporters of the Chief Minister of the western state of Gujarat and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi dance at the party headquarters as news came in of the party's election results in Gandhinagar. – Photo by AFP
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Amit Shah (Right) and Ravi Shankar Prasad (Left) greet supporters as they celebrate victory at their party's headquarters in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Amit Shah (Right) and Ravi Shankar Prasad (Left) greet supporters as they celebrate victory at their party's headquarters in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
Senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party, Amit Shah (Left) waves to supporters as he and colleague Ravi Shankar Prasad (2Right) leave a stage as they celebrate victory at their party's headquarters in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
Senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party, Amit Shah (Left) waves to supporters as he and colleague Ravi Shankar Prasad (2Right) leave a stage as they celebrate victory at their party's headquarters in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
A portrait of India's next Prime Minister Narendra Modi is displayed on a screen on the façade of the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai, India, Friday. – Photo by AP
A portrait of India's next Prime Minister Narendra Modi is displayed on a screen on the façade of the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai, India, Friday. – Photo by AP
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters dance and burst firecrackers to celebrate the news of early election result trends in Allahabad, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Friday. – Photo by AP
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters dance and burst firecrackers to celebrate the news of early election result trends in Allahabad, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Friday. – Photo by AP
India election frontrunner Narendra Modi (Right) salutes supporters from inside a petal covered car as he drives through the streets of Varanasi on his way to the city's BJP party headquarters. – Photo by AFP
India election frontrunner Narendra Modi (Right) salutes supporters from inside a petal covered car as he drives through the streets of Varanasi on his way to the city's BJP party headquarters. – Photo by AFP
Supporters of the India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrate after learning of the initial poll results outside their party office in the northeastern Indian city of Guwahati May 16, 2014. – Photo by Reuters
Supporters of the India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrate after learning of the initial poll results outside their party office in the northeastern Indian city of Guwahati May 16, 2014. – Photo by Reuters
Indian supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party watch the election results on a television in Varanasi. – Photo by AFP
Indian supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party watch the election results on a television in Varanasi. – Photo by AFP
Indian elephants wear the symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in front of the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
Indian elephants wear the symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in front of the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
Indian riot police-women standin front of a billboard of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Narendra Modi in front of the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
Indian riot police-women standin front of a billboard of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Narendra Modi in front of the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and India's next prime minister Narendra Modi greets the gathering at the home of his 90-year-old mother in Gandhinagar, in the western Indian state of Gujarat, Friday. – Photo by AP
Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and India's next prime minister Narendra Modi greets the gathering at the home of his 90-year-old mother in Gandhinagar, in the western Indian state of Gujarat, Friday. – Photo by AP
An Indian supporter of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wears a Modi mask as he pours tea during celebration of party victory in front of the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
An Indian supporter of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wears a Modi mask as he pours tea during celebration of party victory in front of the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP
90-year-old Hiraben blesses her son and India's next prime minister Narendra Modi at her home in Gandhinagar, in the western Indian state of Gujarat. – Photo by AP
90-year-old Hiraben blesses her son and India's next prime minister Narendra Modi at her home in Gandhinagar, in the western Indian state of Gujarat. – Photo by AP

India's frontrunner to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced victory of his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party through his Twitter handle even as counting of votes was underway. Triumphant Modi wrote “India has won. Good days are coming.”

The top official in Gujarat state for over a decade, Modi often contrasted his humble roots with the posh background of his main rival, 43-year-old Rahul Gandhi, heir to India's most powerful political dynasty. As the career politician led his party through a dazzling, high-tech election campaign, Modi called voters' attention to his mother riding a three-wheeled auto-rickshaw to cast her ballot earlier this month. “I am the chief minister of a prosperous state ... And my 90-year-old mother goes to vote in an auto-rickshaw,” the white-bearded Modi boasted, punching a fist through the air as he claimed his place by India's poor masses.

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