Narendra Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister of India on Sunday June 9 for a third term. He will have reduced room for maneuver after his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), failed to obtain an absolute majority following the legislative elections.
2 mins
Accompanied by leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its Hindu nationalist party, and leaders of allied groups, Narendra Modi, 73, pledged to protect the Indian Constitution, during the ceremony at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi . And this in the presence of thousands of people, including leaders of South Asian countries, Bollywood stars and wealthy businessmen.
Several ministers and vice-ministers, like him, took the oath before Indian President Droupadi Murmu, even if Mr. Modi, who has been in power since 2014, has not yet given the composition of his new government.
These included Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari, all three from the BJP and respectively holders of the Defense, Interior and Transport portfolios in his previous government.
In the legislative elections, the BJP obtained 240 of the 543 seats in the lower house of Parliament, far from the estimates of a large victory given by the polls. To stay in power, the National Democratic Alliance, led by the BJP, had to ally with regional parties, raising the risk of political instability.
Read alsoIndia: without an absolute majority, Modi finds an agreement for a government coalition
Narendra Modi was therefore forced to begin talks with his partners within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA which brings together 15 parties in total). In an article published on his website on Sunday, he described the last few days as “very busy”. “We are in the midst of preparations for the formation of the government,” he also wrote.
Narendra Modi, 73, is only the second person after independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru to serve a third consecutive term as prime minister.
To listenMixed victory for Narendra Modi in India: “The end of a policy dominated by religion and Hindu identity”