Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 73, took the oath of office today for his third consecutive term, along with 71 ministers of the new coalition government. This marks the first time PM Modi will lead a coalition government since becoming Prime Minister in 2014 after a victory for “Brand Modi” following a decade of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule. He becomes the second Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to be elected for a third term in a row.
The oath-taking ceremony took place on the lawns of the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, with the temperature forecasted to reach a maximum of 42 degrees Celsius.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath to PM Modi. Following him, prominent leaders such as Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and Nitin Gadkari took the oath. JP Nadda, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nirmala Sitharaman, S. Jaishankar, and Manohar Lal Khattar also took their oaths shortly after.
HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular) was the first leader from the BJP’s allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to take the oath, followed by Janata Dal (United) leader Lalan Singh. From the northeast, Sarbananda Sonowal and Kiren Rijiju were among those sworn in.
Virendra Kumar, a Scheduled Castes representative and eight-time MP from Madhya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh, was also inducted. Jyotiraditya Scindia, who switched from the Congress to the BJP four years ago, was reaffirmed in his ministerial role.
Former diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, marking his comeback in Bihar politics, were among the notable ministers sworn in today.
Supporters cheered as each leader approached the stage to take their oath. Leaders from India’s neighbouring countries and the Indian Ocean Region, including Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, attended the ceremony.
The portfolios for the ministers are yet to be announced.
