New Delhi: Narendra Modi on Sunday sworn in as India’s Prime Minister for a record-equalling third term.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Modi at a grand ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president’s palace in New Delhi.
The ceremony was attended by thousands of dignitaries, including the leaders of seven regional countries, Bollywood stars and industrialists.
South Asian leaders from neighbouring Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka attended the ceremony, but China and Pakistan did not.
Modi, 73, secured the third term in elections that concluded on June 1 with the support of 14 regional parties in his BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), unlike in the previous two terms when his party won an outright majority.
His office said he would appoint a 71-member cabinet, including 11 National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally ministers.
Indian media reported widely that the top jobs including the four most powerful posts of the interior, foreign, finance and defence would remain in BJP’s control. The Hindustan Times described days of “hectic talks”, while the Times of India said the BJP had sought to “pare down” their partners’ demands.
Modi’s previous cabinet had 81 ministers.
Modi's new term as prime minister, therefore, is likely to be fraught with challenges on building consensus on contentious political and policy issues in the face of different interests of regional parties and a stronger opposition, analysts say.
