Watch Germany General Elections LIVE: Friedrich Merz Wins Polls After Second Round of Voting

Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), on Tuesday was elected as Germany's new chancellor after winning the second round of voting, just hours after he failed to secure majority in the first round.

In the second round, Merz got 325 votes out of 630, which is enough to win clear majority. Votes against him were 289.

In the first round, Merz had received 310 votes in the Bundestag, six short of the 316 required for an absolute majority. The lower house of parliament consists of 630 members. The outcome marked an unexpected setback for Merz, who had been widely anticipated to win the vote and be sworn in the same day.

Meanwhile, after Merz' loss in the first round, far-right Alternative für Deutschland called for fresh elections. AfD’s Alice Weidel had said that the result was "a good day for Germany". She had called for a snap election. "Merz should step aside and the way should be cleared for a general election," she told reporters.

Watch the live updates of Germany's general elections:

After his victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Friedrich Merz. "Heartiest congratulations to @_FriedrichMerz on assuming office as the Federal Chancellor of Germany. I look forward to working together to further cement the India-Germany Strategic Partnership," he said in a post on X.

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