Modi eyes power as Obama makes pledge to new India leader [View all]
Source: Agence France-Presse
US President Barack Obama pledged to work closely with the new Indian government as Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi was forecast Tuesday to have pulled off a crushing victory in the world's biggest election.
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All the polls showed Modi's right-wing opposition alliance trounced the left-leaning Congress party which has been in power for a decade, and most indicated that it had scraped enough votes to form a new coalition without having to seek fresh partners.
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Obama, leader of the world's second biggest democracy, said India had "set an example for the world" as he hailed the contest as "a vibrant demonstration of our shared values of diversity and freedom".
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Modi's election however presents something of a headache for the US, which refused to deal with him for years in the aftermath of religious riots in the state of Gujarat in 2002 shortly after Modi became its chief minister.
More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the violence which critics say Modi did little to stop, even though he has been cleared of involvement by the courts.
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European countries also refused to deal with Modi for years in the wake of the 2002 riots, for which Modi has refused to apologise.
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