The Congress won both the Lok Sabha seats in violence-stricken Manipur—Inner and Outer Manipur—defeating the BJP-National People’s Party (NPP)-Naga People’s Front (NPF) alliance on Tuesday.

In the Inner Manipur constituency, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam emerged victorious, while Alfred Kan-Ngam Arthur triumphed in the Outer Manipur constituency. They defeated Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh and Kacchui Timothy Zimik of the BJP-NPP-NPF alliance.

Bimol, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, was a popular choice for voters seeking an alternative to the ruling BJP. He garnered 374,017 out of 789,912 total votes. He was selected by senior Congress leaders during a period of state unrest, as no other party leaders were willing to run.

Arthur’s victory in the Outer Manipur constituency makes him the third Tangkhul Naga to secure a Lok Sabha seat, following Rungsung Suisa’s win in 1957. The 50-year-old former legislator defeated NPF’s Zimik by a margin of over 60,000 votes.

Other candidates for the Inner seat included Maheshwar Thounaojam of RPI (Athawale), independent candidate Moirangthem Totomsana, Rajkumar Somendra Singh, and Haorungbam Sarat.

In the Outer Manipur constituency, Arthur clinched victory by garnering 384,954 out of 789,793 total votes. Coinciding with his 51st birthday, Arthur triumphed over his closest competitor, NPF’s Kachui Timothy Zimik, who received 299,536 votes.

All four Naga candidates vied for the Outer Manipur seat, including independent contenders S Kho John and Alyson Abonmai.

Manipur has been embroiled in conflict since May of last year, sparked by ethnic tensions following a protest march by Kuki tribals in the hill districts. They were demonstrating against the demand for Scheduled Tribes status by the valley-dominant Meitei community.

Since the unrest began last year, more than 220 individuals from both communities, including security personnel, have lost their lives in the ongoing violence.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on their victory in the recent Lok Sabha elections. He also praised the nearly 650 million voters who participated, calling it a “historic election.”

“Congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance on their victory, and to the nearly 650 million voters in this historic election. The friendship between our nations is only growing as we unlock a shared future of unlimited potential,” Biden posted on X.

The US State Department issued a statement congratulating Modi and the NDA, and commended Indian voters, poll workers, civil society, and journalists for “their commitment and vital contributions to India’s democratic processes and institutions.”

“We look forward to continuing to further our partnership with the Indian government to promote prosperity and innovation, address the climate crisis, and ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” stated department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his party’s election success during a telephone call, the Kremlin announced on Wednesday.

“The Russian President warmly congratulated Narendra Modi on the success of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recently concluded general parliamentary elections,” the Kremlin said.

Prime Minister Modi was formally named by the NDA to lead a new coalition government for a third consecutive term on Wednesday, a day after election results left the BJP below the majority. Modi, who has dominated Indian politics since 2014, will now head a government reliant on the support of regional allies, a dynamic that could complicate his cabinet’s reform agenda.

Following the election results, Modi submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu, following the cabinet’s recommendation to dissolve parliament—a necessary formality before forming a new government. Subsequently, a meeting of 15 NDA parties at Modi’s residence formally named him as their leader.

The NDA secured 293 seats in the 543-member lower house of parliament, surpassing the 272 needed to form a government. However, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 240 seats on its own. The opposition INDIA alliance, led by Rahul Gandhi’s Congress party, exceeded expectations by winning 230 seats. Congress alone secured 99 seats, nearly doubling its tally from 2019, boosting Gandhi’s political standing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers submitted their resignations to President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, according to a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan.

President Murmu accepted the resignations and requested that Modi continue in his role until the new government is formed, as stated in the communique.

Prior to resigning, the prime minister chaired a Union Cabinet meeting, which recommended the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha, set to end on 16 June.

Sources familiar with the matter said the Cabinet meeting also reviewed the Lok Sabha election results and discussed potential government formation.

Tuesday’s election results showed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning 240 seats, a loss of 63 seats from the 303 it secured five years earlier. Although the ruling party fell short of the 272-seat majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) achieved a clear third term with 293 seats.

The opposition INDIA alliance, led by the Indian National Congress, garnered 233 seats, with Congress nearly doubling its representation to 99 seats.

In the 2019 election, the NDA had secured 353 seats, while the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance had won 91 seats.

On Wednesday, rating agency Moody’s stated that the NDA’s victory in the recent Indian general election would ensure policy continuity. However, it noted that the slim margin of victory and loss of an outright majority in Parliament could delay significant economic and fiscal reforms, potentially hindering progress on fiscal consolidation.

Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut stated on Wednesday that the BJP would provide an “unstable government” and emphasized that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Janata Dal-United (JD U) leader Nitish Kumar must decide whether they want to align with those who threaten democracy.

Responding to questions about the chances of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc forming the central government, Raut said in Hindi, “Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar are everyone’s friends. I don’t think they should support those who pose a threat to democracy and the constitution.”

He added, “Where does BJP have the majority? They are stuck on 237-240 seats. I believe that Modi ji and BJP don’t have the majority. They want to give an unstable government. It is not Modi ji’s role to run such a government. He used to talk about Modi ki sarkar, Modi ki guarantee…If they try to form a government, it will not last. We have the mandate and the numbers.”

INDIA bloc leaders are set to meet at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Wednesday evening to discuss the Lok Sabha poll results, strategize on forming the government, and consider reaching out to former allies Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu.

The TDP and JD(U) have already dismissed suggestions of defecting to the opposition alliance.

Key opposition leaders, including NCP-SP’s Sharad Pawar, DMK’s MK Stalin, JMM’s Champai Soren, TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, and CPI’s D Raja, are expected to attend the meeting, along with Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. It remains unconfirmed whether Mamata Banerjee and Uddhav Thackeray will attend.

The BJP is short of the 272-seat majority mark and is hoping to form the government for a third term with its allies.

With the support of Naidu’s TDP in Andhra Pradesh and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) in Bihar, which won 16 and 12 Lok Sabha seats respectively, and other alliance partners, the NDA can potentially cross the halfway mark.