NDA Plans June 9 Oath Ceremony at Kartavya Path if Wins

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is tentatively planning to take the oath of office on June 9, if it secures a third consecutive term in the ongoing general elections. According to two individuals familiar with the matter, these preliminary plans have been in development for the past month. The results of the Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be announced on June 4.

In previous years, the NDA government took their oaths on May 26, 2014, and May 30, 2019, following election results announced on May 16, 2014, and May 23, 2019, respectively. Both ceremonies were held in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

This year, however, the party is considering an alternative venue that can accommodate a larger audience. One potential location is Kartavya Path, an iconic area that features prominently in the Central Vista project. “The idea is to have a backdrop which will showcase the government’s achievements and vision for the future,” said one of the sources, requesting anonymity. “A lot of the new structures of the Central Vista project are ready and so it provides an ideal location for the vision of a Viksit (developed) Bharat.”

The finalization of these plans will depend on the election results and the NDA securing a third term, noted the second source. Weather conditions might also influence the decision, as Delhi experienced its hottest day in 80 years recently, and June is expected to remain extremely hot.

Speculation about a third swearing-in ceremony for Prime Minister Narendra Modi arose on Monday when Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar mentioned at a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) executive meeting that the party might not be able to celebrate its foundation day on June 10 due to the potential ceremony.

A preparatory meeting was held on May 24 at the information and broadcasting wing of the Union government, attended by officials from All India Radio and Doordarshan. Although the venue was not discussed, officials were instructed to prepare for a larger audience than the 8,000 attendees in 2019. Approximately 100 cameras are expected to be used for the live broadcast, and the ceremony is anticipated to take place around 4-5 days after June 4. “All preparations are in place as per standard protocol,” stated Gaurav Dwivedi, CEO of Prasar Bharati.

As of now, six phases of the general elections are complete, with the seventh phase covering 57 seats scheduled for June 1. Internal surveys of the party consistently suggest that the NDA is likely to secure a third term. Strategists anticipate a loss of about 17 seats in Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, but hope to offset these losses with gains in Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, and Assam.