Modi to be sworn in as India’s PM for third time today M Haris

NEW DELHI: Narendra Modi is set to take oath as India’s prime minister for a record-equalling third time today.

Indian President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to Modi and members of the Council of Ministers at Rashtrapati Bhawan, official residence of the president, at 7:15pm local time (6:45pm PST), reported Indian media.

Authorities have beefed up the security arrangements in the capital with additional deployment of police, army and traffic personnel along with a three-layered security apparatus at the presidential residence.

Furthermore, Indian media has 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 for the first time needed the support of regional allies as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 240 constituencies, falling short of winning the majority of 272 constituencies.

Two allies in 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.

Overall, the alliance won 293 seats in the Lok Sabha — the 543-member lower house of parliament.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, Modi’s chief 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 analysts’ expectations and exit polls to help his Congress party nearly double its parliamentary numbers, its best result since Modi was swept to power a decade ago.

A meeting of the Congress leadership on Saturday voted unanimously to recommend Gandhi´s election as India’s official opposition leader, a post that had been left vacant since 2014.

“All participants unanimously passed the resolution that Rahul Gandhi should take the position of leader of opposition in the parliament,” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal told a news conference afterwards.

Several world leaders including United States President Joe Biden British PM Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and PM Mohammad Bin Salman and others have congratulated Modi on being elected as the country’s premier for the third time.

Meanwhile, the swearing-in ceremony will be attended by more than 8,000 dignitaries including Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Bhutan’s PM Tshering Tobgay and Nepalese PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”.