"It has been decided that NDA government will be formed again": EAM Jaishankar

"After the elections, it has been decided that the NDA government will be formed again, for the third consecutive time...," EAM Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar underscored that this consecutive victory has been achieved after 60 years.

"You also know that this consecutive government has been made in our history after 60 years," he said.

The BJP-led NDA is set to form its third successive government at the Centre with the Lok Sabha election results on Tuesday throwing up a verdict that also brought cheer to the opposition INDIA alliance as it put up a strong performance with Congress almost touching the 100-seat mark.

The BJP-led NDA is poised to win 291 seats and the INDIA bloc 234 with the election turning out to be much close than predicted by the exit polls which gave an huge majority to the ruling alliance at the Centre.

However, other parties are slated to win 18 seats.

With 291 seats in its kitty, NDA will be 17 more than the majority mark of 272 in the Lok Sabha. BJP is slated to win 240 seats on its own and the party will be dependent on its allies, including TDP and JD-U, for the stability of its government.

Apart from its clean sweep in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the best news for BJP came from Odisha where it is poised to 19 of 21 Lok Sabha seats and will also form its first government.

In his remarks, after most of the results came in the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the BJP-led NDA will form its third successive government and that it is the victory of the resolve of Viksit Bharat, of 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas' and of the strong faith of people in India's Constitution.

PM Modi said at the party's central office that it is the first time since 1962 that a government that completed two full tenures has got a third successive term in office. He said "new history" has been created after six decades.

PM Modi also emphasised that despite the opposition parties coming together, their combined number was less than the tally of the BJP. (ANI)