[Not the victory Modi hoped] Indian election results closer than expected and Kapil Komireddi saw it coming - "If Modi receives a blow, either in the form of a defeat or a diminished margin of victory, he will owe it to the civic revival incubated by his own reign"

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is claiming victory in the Indian election, though his alliance is far short of the 400 seats he set out to win.

This is unexpected, but Indian author Kapil Komireddi saw it coming. Reacting to the results, he writes: "The redeeming power of democracy I wrote about in the @NewYorker is on shimmering display today."