The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), under the leadership of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, is set to form the government at the Centre for the third consecutive term. Modi will be sworn in today, June 9, at 7:15 PM, marking a significant milestone as he becomes the only leader since Jawaharlal Nehru to be elected for three consecutive terms after completing the full tenure of each previous term.
Alongside Modi, who will take the oath for a third consecutive term as Prime Minister, members of his council of ministers will also take their oaths. The event has garnered considerable attention, with posters featuring the Prime Minister-designate prominently displayed around Delhi in anticipation of the ceremony.
Extensive preparations have been made for the event. Approximately 1,100 traffic police personnel have been deployed by the Delhi Police, and an advisory has been issued to manage traffic flow and route arrangements for the delegates attending the ceremony.
Highlighting India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, several leaders and state heads from the neighbouring region and the Indian Ocean region have been invited as distinguished guests. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the following leaders have accepted the invitation to attend:
- President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe
- President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu
- Vice-President of Seychelles, Ahmed Afif
- Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina
- Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth
- Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’
- Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay
In addition to these leaders, over 250 workers who contributed to the construction of the new Parliament building will also participate in the ceremony. They will gather at BJP leader Mansukh Mandaviya’s residence at 3 PM before heading to the President’s house.
The MEA emphasized the significance of this event, noting that the attendance of these leaders underscores the importance India places on its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and the ‘SAGAR’ vision (Security and Growth for All in the Region). Following the swearing-in ceremony, the dignitaries will also attend a banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
This gesture of inviting neighbouring leaders continues Modi’s tradition of regional engagement. In 2014, he invited leaders from SAARC nations, and in 2019, representatives from BIMSTEC countries attended his swearing-in ceremony.
Despite the grandeur of the event, opposition leaders, including Congress leader KC Venugopal, have indicated that they have not received any information regarding the ceremony.
The BJP secured 240 seats in the Lok Sabha, with the NDA amassing a total of 292 seats out of 543. The Congress, part of the INDIA bloc, managed to prevent the BJP from obtaining a majority on its own, securing 99 seats. Other notable results include the Samajwadi Party with 37 seats, the Trinamool Congress with 29 seats, and the DMK with 22 seats.