Narendra Modi has been sworn in as India’s Prime Minister for a third consecutive term.
Modi, 73, is the second Indian leader to achieve the feat after the country’s independence icon and first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Nehru was the Premier for more than 16 years from independence in 1947 to his death in 1964.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by leaders from neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives.
Top Bollywood celebrities also marked their presence at the ceremony.
President Droupadi Murmu administered Modi’s oath, followed by the swearing-in of top Federal Ministers at the presidential palace in the capital, New Delhi.
Modi, flanked by officials from his Hindu-nationalist party and leaders of his coalition partners, vowed to protect India’s constitution.
Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Modi visited and paid homage to freedom fighter, Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial Rajghat in Delhi.
He paid tribute to former BJP Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and visited another BJP stalwart, LK Advani, at his residence.
In the afternoon, Modi also invited Members of Parliament who are part of the new cabinet, dubbed as “Modi 3.0” in Indian media.
He hosted a high tea at his residence and interacted with the ministers.
Modi’s third term holds significance as it is the first time relying on a fragile coalition with partners who are not averse to switching support.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did worse than expected in the general election, leaving the right-wing party reliant on partners in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for a majority in parliament.
An Unchartered Territory For Modi
Analysts say that leading a coalition government is uncharted territory for Modi who has always led governments with a majority even during his time as Gujarat Chief Minister while singularly enjoying the spotlight and relevance.
According to Analysts, Modi’s depleted mandate could shape what India’s next government looks like.
Already, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Janata Dal (United), the two biggest allies, are believed to have made tough demands of the BJP – from high-profile positions in the cabinet and as Speaker of the house to a common governance programme.
Now, these allies, serving as key pillars holding up the government, could serve as a check on Modi, analysts and rights activists claim.
Harsh Mander, a prominent rights activist who once served as a bureaucrat, stated, “Indian voters have collectively secured that Modi will not be able to function as a dictator like the last 10 years.”
Mander added, “There is no evidence he was even consulting with his cabinet before any major decision. And that’s over now, hopefully.”
Meanwhile, Michael Kugelman, the Director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute said, “The results were a very humbling moment for [the BJP and Modi].”
He noted that the politics of coalition does not fit in well with “Modi’s brand of assertive and go-it-alone politics.”
“These results show that the Modi wave has receded, revealing a level of electoral vulnerability that many could not have foreseen,” Kugelman suggested.
“Modi will no longer be seen as invincible, and the opposition will no longer be dead in the water. And if the BJP needs to govern in a coalition, it will need to scale back some of its expectations and ambitions.”
Michael Kugelman
Meanwhile, Kugelman added that Modi’s return to the office will also sharpen a conundrum for the US and Western countries.
The dilemma, he said was about “how to square the reality of the strategic importance of engaging with India [as a counterweight to China in the region] while the country slides toward illiberalism.”
