New Delhi: As the political landscape gears up for the next phase of governance, Narendra Modi is set to take oath as Prime Minister for a third consecutive term on Sunday evening, following an invitation from President Droupadi Murmu to form the government. The President's appointment of Modi as the Prime Minister-designate came after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief J P Nadda submitted a letter affirming Modi's election as the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party, alongside letters of support from NDA leaders.
Power sharing
Ahead of the ceremony, talks are ongoing to ensure equitable representation for each ally, with discussions of potential reshuffles and expansions of the council of ministers. The NDA MPs will meet on Saturday to finalise the list of cabinet ministers.
Despite the BJP falling short of a majority with 240 seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) clinched a comfortable majority with 293 seats in the 543-member House. The four key allies include N Chandrababu Naidu's TDP, which secured 16 seats, Nitish Kumar's JDU with 12 seats, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena with 7 seats, and Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas, which garnered 5 seats.
Oath taking
The oath-taking ceremony for the Prime Minister and other members of the Union Council of Ministers is scheduled for 7:15 pm on Sunday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Murmu will administer the oath of office and secrecy. In a statement, Modi expressed his gratitude for being appointed as the Prime Minister-designate and outlined plans for the upcoming oath ceremony. He emphasised the significance of the 18th Lok Sabha, heralding it as a pivotal milestone towards India's centennial independence celebrations in 2047.
Commencement of 18th Lok Sabha Session
Following the oath-taking ceremony, the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha is expected to commence around June 15. The session will commence with the oath-taking of newly elected members, followed by the election of a new Speaker. President Murmu will formally inaugurate the session by addressing a joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The final dates for the session will be determined by the new Union Cabinet, which is anticipated to convene soon after the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday evening. The dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha on June 5 paved the way for the transition to the 18th Lok Sabha.