India's Congress party has pulled off a stunning election victory. In a monthlong, multi-stage parliamentary ballot, the party produced its best electoral performance in over a quarter of a century. Even more important, when the seats of its main coalition partners are added to its total, Congress is just short of having a majority in the legislature. This could upend Indian politics by breaking the grip of bosses from small parties that exercised undue influence because of the need for broad coalitions.
Most significantly, India's Communist Party is no longer in a position to veto government policies. It is a resounding show of support for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Gandhi family, which is synonymous with Congress.
As India entered the electoral season, most observers expected Mr. Singh's government to take a beating. The country suffered one of the worst terror attacks in its history last year. The region appears increasingly unstable: Pakistan is battling its own Islamic insurgency; the government in Nepal has collapsed; and Afghanistan is teetering again on the brink of chaos. Playing to that insecurity, the main opposition party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) played up its image as a strong party ready to put national strength — if not national security — at the forefront of its campaign. Posters showed a party leader in the gym, no less — a stark contrast to Mr. Singh who recently had open heart surgery.