India's prime minister-elect Narendra Modi on Saturday vowed to clean up the holy river Ganges, sacred to millions of Hindus but seeped in filth due to years of apathy and neglect.

The Hindu nationalist leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party -- who is set to be sworn in as premier next week -- made a fervent plea to the people of Varanasi, the city through which the river flows, to help restore the pristine glory of the Ganges.

Prime minister-elect Narendra Modi headed to Delhi Saturday to bask in the glory of an election landslide for his Hindu nationalists, promising to improve the lives of all Indians in spite of his polarizing image.

As world leaders congratulated the abrasive right-winger on his crushing victory over the leftist Congress party, Modi flew out of western Gujarat state that he has run since 2001 to prepare for a five-year term as prime minister.

Pakistan's prime minister called India's Narendra Modi Friday to congratulate him on his landslide election win, suggesting Islamabad is keen to promote better ties with its giant neighbor.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spoke to Modi, leader of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to hail the "impressive victory", a statement from the Pakistani leader's office said.

India's triumphant Hindu nationalists declared "a new era" in the world's biggest democracy Friday after hardline leader Narendra Modi propelled them to the biggest win in 30 years on promises to revitalize the economy.

Preliminary results at the end of the marathon six-week election showed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by prime ministerial candidate Modi on track for the first parliamentary majority by a single party since 1984.

Malaysian police have foiled a plot to attack foreign missions in two Indian cities and arrested a South Asian terror suspect, a senior security official said Thursday.

The arrest comes just days after police launched an investigation into whether Al-Qaida-linked Somali rebels were seeking to set up a base in the Southeast Asian country after a suspected insurgent was arrested.

India authorities banned victory processions and imposed a curfew in a southern city on Thursday in stepped up security on the eve of national election results expected to vault Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi to power.

Hundreds of police and paramilitary forces patrolled Hyderabad city to prevent fresh religious violence, one day after three people were killed when officers fired during clashes between Muslims and Sikhs.

India's Congress-led government named a new army chief Tuesday, days before official election results were due in the world's largest democracy where exit polls show the Hindu nationalists headed for victory, a report said.

Lieutenant General Dalbir Singh Suhag, 59, will take over from chief of army staff General Bikram Singh after he retires on July 31, the Press Trust of India national news agency quoted sources as saying.

India's triumphant right-wing opposition said Tuesday it was headed for a decisive majority in the world's biggest election after exit polls showed its hardline leader Narendra Modi closing in on victory.

Stock markets surged to record highs on hopes of a business-friendly government under Modi after a decade of rule by a left-leaning coalition, while U.S. President Barack Obama said he looked forward to working with the new administration in New Delhi.

India's triumphant right-wing opposition said Tuesday it was headed for a decisive majority in the world's biggest election after exit polls showed its hardline leader Narendra Modi closing in on victory.

Stock markets surged to record highs on hopes of a business-friendly government under Modi after a decade of rule by a left-leaning coalition, while U.S. President Barack Obama said he looked forward to working with the new administration in New Delhi.

A right-wing opposition alliance led by Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is set to scrape a majority in India's general election, a flurry of exit polls indicated Monday.

Four out the five exit polls published within hours of the end of voting in the world's biggest election showed the BJP and its partners in the National Democratic Alliance would reach the 272 threshold needed to form a majority coalition in the 543-seat parliament.