Toronto, April 30 -- The Liberal Party won the Canadian general election, giving former central banker and incumbent PM Mark Carney a mandate to govern, a stunning turnaround in fortunes since his predecessor Justin Trudeau's popularity plummeted. Carney's gamble of triggering an early election, however, fell short of securing the majority he sought.

Carney's party had about 43.6% of the national vote, securing or leading in 168 of the 172 seats needed for a majority in the House of Commons, meaning the government would be forced to work with other parties to pass budgets and other legislation. Under the tightest scenarios, the Bloc Quebecois, which runs candidates only in French-speaking Quebec, might hold the balance of power. The NDP ...