India (Commonwealth Union)_ After winning the majority in India’s mammoth elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is gearing up for his historic third inauguration ceremony on Saturday, an achievement unparalleled since the era of Congress stalwart Jawaharlal Nehru. Having met with President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi to present his resignation, along with that of his cabinet, Mr. Modi was subsequently urged to continue his duties until the swearing-in ceremony.
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With the grand historic inauguration ceremony unfolding on June 8, India has extended invitations to leaders from neighboring nations in a gesture of significant regional diplomacy. Accordingly, neighbors, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Mauritius, will attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming inauguration ceremony on Saturday. This event marks Modi’s rise to a historic third consecutive term, following the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in securing 293 seats in the Lok Sabha polls.
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Additionally, alongside Mr. Modi, the new Union Cabinet ministers will also be sworn in on the same occasion. Among the distinguished guests anticipated to grace the ceremony are top leaders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, and Mauritius. According to the media division of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office, Prime Minister Modi personally extended an invitation to President Wickremesinghe, who graciously accepted and conveyed his congratulations to Modi on his electoral triumph. Similar diplomatic exchanges also took place with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who confirmed her attendance at the swearing-in ceremony.
Furthermore, it was reported that invitations were also extended to Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth, underscoring the event’s regional significance. Accordingly, official invitations will be dispatched on Thursday, as confirmed by sources familiar with the matter. Additionally, the significance of regional cooperation was also evident in previous swearing-in ceremonies, with leaders from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries attending Modi’s first inauguration and those from the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) nations participating in the second.
Furthermore, addressing jubilant supporters at the party’s headquarters in Delhi, Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude for the nation’s trust in the NDA for a third consecutive term, pledging to uphold the momentum of progress and development initiated over the past decade. Acknowledging the pivotal roles of veteran politicians Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar, whose parties hold the crucial 28 seats within the coalition that led the party to win, Modi highlighted their significance in shaping the political landscape. He also hailed them as kingmakers. Modi stated, “The people of India had placed their faith in the NDA for the third time. I bow to the people for this affection and assure them we will continue the good work done in the last decade to keep fulfilling aspirations”.
Modi’s electoral success, although falling short of a majority for the BJP independently, underscores the continued support for the NDA, which secured a commanding 293 seats out of 543 in the Lower House. Despite the BJP’s diminished seat count compared to previous elections, Mr. Modi retained his constituency in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, further consolidating his political stature. Further, the potential realignment of political alliances, particularly the prospect of securing the support of Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu, underscores the dynamic nature of Indian politics, with implications for the stability of Mr. Modi’s government and the BJP’s future trajectory.
