India’s ruling Congress party has conceded defeat with the opposition BJP led by Narendra Modi set for a landslide victory in the country’s general election.<br /><br />The Hindu nationalist BJP could well clear 272-seat barrier for an outright majority, the first time a single party has ruled India for three decades.<br /><br />Both business and India’s youth have backed the controversial Modi who has campaigned to reduce bureaucracy, create jobs and promote investment.<br /><br />Many are uneasy with the prospect of Modi as prime minister. <br /><br />Members of the Muslim minority fear a repeat of the massacre of hundreds of Muslims by Hindus in Gujarat during riots in 2002, when Modi was the states chief minister.<br /><br />The scale of the victory, however suggests not only Hundus voted for Modi.<br /><br />The outcome is a catastrophe for the Congress Party led by Rahul Gandhi, son of assassinated former Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi and President of Congress Sonia Ghandi.<br /><br />In a statement Congress said “We humbly accept the verdict and will perform the role assigned to us as a reasonsable opposition.”<br /><br />More than 550 million people voted in the nine-phase five-week long ballot.<br /><br />The turnout at 66.38 percent broke previous records with the final results due later on Friday.
