Congress wins decisive victory in Indias elections

In India, the results of national elections are in, and they give the Congress Party led by Sonia Gandhi a landslide victory. There were widespread celebrations after the results were announced.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will remain, with an overwhelming mandate to continue his reforms of the economy. It is likely that Indias insurance, retail and banking sectors will be opened to greater foreign investment. Communist lawmakers had blocked such reforms, but lost more than half their seats in the latest elections.

Arvind Panagariya, a specialist on Indias politics and economy at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the main issues of the election and what the U.S. and Pakistan can expect from Singh during his second term in office.

For further analysis, read Worldfocus contributor Luv Puris assessment of how the results will impact Indias foreign relations: Election results set course for Indias future: http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/05/18/election-results-set-course-for-indias-...

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