As part of the protocol following a general election, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has formally submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu at her official residence in New Delhi.
“The President accepted the resignation and requested the Prime Minister and the Union Council of Ministers to continue in office till the new Government is formed,” a statement from the President’s office disclosed.
Earlier today, Modi’s cabinet, as part of the rules following a general election, recommended the dissolution of the parliament’s lower house.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 240 seats in the election and is 32 seats short of the 272 majority mark to form the government on its own.
Nonetheless, the BJP-led alliance, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 283 seats, making Modi dependent on allies for the first time since he came to power in 2014.
Modi is expected to meet his allies in New Delhi later on Tuesday, June 5, 2024, to secure their support.
INDIA, the opposition coalition led by the Congress party, won 223 seats in a stronger-than-anticipated performance and has refused to concede defeat.
Its members will also meeting in New Delhi to explore government formation.
Congratulatory wishes for Modi continued on Tuesday.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the Indian prime minister on his political alliance’s win.
“Everyone in the world recognises the significance and weight of India’s role in global affairs. It is critical that we all work together to ensure a just peace for all nations,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on social media.
China also congratulated Modi following his election win.
“China is ready to work with India to promote the healthy and stable development of relations between the two countries, in the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, with an eye to the big picture and a view to the future,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news conference.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated his Indian counterpart in a post on X.
“May the friendship between India and Israel continue to surge towards new heights. Badhaai Ho!” he posted, using the Hindi word for “congratulations.”
While India has been a traditional supporter of the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation, Modi’s right-wing government has also cultivated close business and security ties with Israel in the last decade.
Modi Faced With Most Serious Political Setback
According to Siddharth Vardarajan, founding editor of a news website, Modi is facing perhaps the most serious setback of his political career because for the first time, he entered an election and failed to secure a majority on his own,
“I am talking about his record as Chief Minister and his record in national politics,” he said.
Modi headed Gujarat for nearly 13 years before becoming the Prime Minister.
“The fact is that the BJP lost as many as 63 seats compared to its performance in 2019 and he is coming back in the form of a coalition with certain allies who are notoriously unstable, so I think it is a political and moral defeat for Modi.”
Siddharth Vardarajan
Vardarajan added that Modi is not a politician used to “learning proper lessons” from such results, nor is the party a normal one because it is “completely beholden” to him.
“He will be looking to carry on as usual as though nothing has changed, but the fact is that the terrain has shifted in India and there is a strong and viable opposition and it has shown that it disagrees with many of his policies.”
Siddharth Vardarajan
Separately, Political Commentator, Rasheed Kidwai told a news agency that it is difficult to imagine how Modi will be able to run his third term with such a coalition.
He added that there are a lot of “demands, posturing, from the ally partners” in a coalition.
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