Congress Party wins India elections

And reportedly has increased its parliamentary plurality to close to a majority.

All good news.

Given that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence seems to have some degree of connection to the Mumbai attacks of a few months, if India’s Bharatiya Janata Party Hindu nationalist party had gained a plurality, the international situation probably would have tensed up more.

And, just 11 votes short of an outright majority, Congress, while it will need some coalition with minor parties, won’t need to do so with Communists, meaning it can go ahead with any plans for further economic reform. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already started some such efforts.