On Sunday, Narendra Modi officially entered his groundbreaking third consecutive term as India’s prime minister. After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Hindu nationalist party, failed to obtain a majority in the recent parliamentary elections, Modi was forced to head a government formed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Upon failing to win the projected 272 parliamentary seats that were anticipated, securing only 240, the BJP had no choice other than to revive the NDA and collaborate with approximately 10 of its affiliate parties. The outcome delivered the NDA a majority, with a count of 293 MPs.
President Droupadi Murmu solemnly administered the oath of office to Modi in New Delhi, set against the grand backdrop of the red sandstone presidential palace. A guest list of over 8500 individuals, including leaders from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Seychelles, were in attendance. Bollywood celebrities, distinguished entrepreneurs, diplomats, several hundred railway and sanitation workers, tribal women, and the ones hailed as heroes for saving construction workers from a collapsed tunnel, braved sizzling city temperatures to mark their presence in the ceremony.
Two key coalition partners emerged from this electoral predicament; the Telugu Desam Party from the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and the Janata Dal/People’s Party (Secular) from eastern Bihar state. These allies, who previously harboured significant disagreements with Modi, now hold 28 parliamentary seats between them. Intense negotiation spanned several days before senior roles were secured within the new administration. A contingency of this kind hadn’t been required for BJP since their outright parliamentary victories in 2014 and 2019.
Without acknowledging any shortfall by the BJP in the elections, Modi focuses solely on celebrating the historic achievement of becoming prime minister for the third time in a row. This accomplishment mirrors that of Jawaharlal Nehru, who served the newly independent India as its prime minister for three successive terms until 1964.
Politcal analyst Siddarth Vardarajan has opined that the elections resulted in a “spectacular” personal defeat for Mr Mod. Following the NDA MPs’ vote on Friday that kept Mr Modi at the helm of the federal alliance, the premier unexpectedly insisted that “unity and collaboration” are pivotal for effective governance. In a casual gathering of his potential cabinet on Sunday, in anticipation of his inauguration, Mr Modi implored the MPs to fulfil government commitments and accomplish ongoing projects within the initial 100 days of his term.