Newsman: Narendra Modi was sworn in Sunday for a third consecutive term as India’s prime minister. Modi and his Cabinet ministers took the oath of office, administered by President Droupadi Murmu, at India’s presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
Narendra Modi 73 is only the second Indian prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to retain power for a third five-year term. Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party failed to secure a majority to govern on its own in the latest national election though won by landslides in 2014 and 2019. However, Modi’s National Democratic Alliance coalition won enough seats to form a government, with him in controls.
Final election results released Wednesday showed Modi’s BJP won 240 seats, well below the 272 needed for a majority. Together, the parties in the NDA coalition secured 293 seats in the 543-member lower house of Parliament.
Narendra Modi is now relying on his coalition partners. This is the first time the BJP under Modi has needed support from its regional allies to form a government after a decade of commanding the majority in Parliament.
Modi’s coalition government now largely depends on two key regional allies — the Telugu Desam Party in southern Andhra Pradesh state and Janata Dal (United) in eastern Bihar state — to stay in power.
Meanwhile, Modi’s political challenger, the INDIA alliance led by the resurgent Congress party, put up a stronger-than-expected fight, doubling its strength from the last election to win 232 seats.
Several South Asian leaders attended the swearing-in ceremony Sunday, including Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu.
Tensions between India and Maldives have grown since Muizzu was elected last year. He has since taken a pro-China stance and removed Indian troops stationed on one of Maldives’ islets.
