The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s party has snatched a fragile victory in a state election outside its political heartland, boosting momentum for the Hindu nationalist leader a year before national polls. Though the final result is still uncertain, analysts said the surge in support for the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) in Karnataka state showed that the party’s national appeal was still growing while its strongest foe, the secular Congress party, continued to decline. The BJP won 104 of 224 seats in southern Karnataka state, the most of any party but eight short of governing outright. Its state leader, BS Yeddyurappa, was sworn in on Thursday and now has 15 days to prove he can command a majority.(theguardian)…[+]