- Indian President Droupadi Murmu will swear in Modi.
- The oath taking ceremony will take place at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
- More than 8,000 dignitaries and prime ministers from various countries will attend the ceremony.
NEW DELHI: Narendra Modi will be sworn in as India's prime minister today for a record third time.
Indian President Droupadi Murmu will swear in Modi and members of the Council of Ministers at Rashtrapati Bhawan, the president's official residence, at 7:15 p.m. local time (6:45 p.m. Pacific time), Indian media reported.
Authorities have beefed up security measures in the capital with additional deployment of police, army and traffic personnel along with a three-tier security apparatus at the presidential residence.
Furthermore, Indian media also reported that Delhi has been declared a “no-fly zone” ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
Modi, since coming to power in 2014, has needed the support of regional allies for the first time, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 240 constituencies, failing to win a majority in 272 constituencies.
Two allies of Modi's National Democratic Alliance coalition, the Telugu Desam Party, a key regional player in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, and the Janata Dal (United), which rules the northern state of Bihar, pledged their support.
In total, the alliance won 293 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the 543-member parliament.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, Modi's main rival and Congress leader, was nominated on Saturday to lead India's opposition in parliament after an election result that rescued his party from the political wilderness.
Gandhi defied the expectations of analysts and exit polls to help his Congress party nearly double its parliamentary numbers, its best result since Modi came to power a decade ago.
A meeting of Congress leaders voted unanimously on Saturday to recommend Gandhi's election as India's official opposition leader, a position that had been vacant since 2014.
“All participants unanimously passed the resolution that Rahul Gandhi should take over as Leader of Opposition in Parliament,” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said at a press conference later.
Several world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman and others, have congratulated Modi for being elected prime minister of the country for the third time.
Meanwhile, the swearing-in ceremony will be attended by more than 8,000 dignitaries, including Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay and Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal. “Prachanda.”
'Right of Indians to decide their own leadership'
On the other hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is yet to congratulate Modi on his victory in the elections.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was asked during a media chat whether Pakistan has officially congratulated Modi on his election as Prime Minister and the country's stance on the Indian elections.
“The people of India have the right to decide on their own leadership. We have no comment on their electoral process. Regarding your first question, I think it is premature. As I understand it, the government formation process is ongoing,” Baloch stated.
Replying to another question, the spokesperson said Pakistan has always desired cooperative relations with all its neighbours, including India.
“We have consistently advocated constructive dialogue and compromise to resolve all outstanding issues including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The spokesperson said Pakistan still believes in peaceful coexistence and wants peace and stability in the region, hoping that India will take steps to create a conducive environment for the advancement of peace and dialogue and resolution of long-standing disputes. for the mutual benefit of countries. people from both countries.
