India's Congress-Led Coalition Seen With Strong Early Lead

By Sruthi Gottipati

India’s opposition leader Narendra Modi and his party won national elections in a landslide Friday, preliminary results showed, driving the long-dominant Congress party out of power in the most commanding victory India has seen in more than a quarter century. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party captured a commanding lead for at least 272 seats in the lower house of Parliament, the majority needed to create a government without forming a coalition with smaller parties.

The biggest story in India these days continues to be the May 2014 elections and what they could mean for India's economy which is growing at its slowest pace in a decade. Naturally analysts have been weighing in on the elections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Indian elections results due Friday provide a chance to repair relations with the U.S. that were strained by the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York in December. But there's a big catch: Washington's uneasy relationship with the man expected to become India's next prime minister.

Edinburgh (AFP) - Early figures on Friday indicated the turnout for Scotland's historic independence referendum could be the highest ever in the United Kingdom, for a vote that could break up the centuries-old union.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's ruling Congress party, which surveys suggest will be ousted from power in elections due by May, called on Wednesday for opinion polls to be banned during the campaign after a TV news report alleged survey data was routinely manipulated.The News Express channel said a "sting operation" using hidden cameras had exposed malpractices by a clutch of polling agencies that included fudging numbers at the behest of political parties, sometimes for money.

Sticking with quotes from the Guardian Live Election Blog, New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras "Will Honour Commitments to the EU". Samaras summarised his speech in English: His party would honour commitments to the EU. It was a victory for all Europe. A call for all political parties that share objectives to form government. Sacrifices of Greek people will be reflected.

Action has heated up in Portugal where the Ruling Coalition Splinters on Austerity Fatigue. Portuguese borrowing costs topped 8 percent for the first time this year after two ministers quit, signaling the government will struggle to implement further budget cuts as its bailout program enters its final 12 months. Government Tensions