Narendra Modi will be sworn in as India’s Prime Minister for the third time in a row at 6 PM on June 9. The Cabinet Ministers may also be sworn in on the same day at a ceremony planned to take place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Previously, the oath ceremony was anticipated to occur on June 8. Nevertheless, it has been officially announced that Modi will take the oath on Sunday. Over 8,000 dignitaries will witness the event, as per The Indian Express.
On Friday, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP nominated Modi as their Parliamentary leader, supporting him as the upcoming Prime Minister and paving the way for his third swearing-in ceremony.
Foreign dignitaries in Modi oath taking ceremony
India has extended invitations to key South Asian leaders like Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, in accordance with the NDA government’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
According to reliable diplomatic sources, invitations are also being extended to Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth, and President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan for the grand ceremony.
After conversing with PM Modi, Wickremesinghe and Hasina have both assured their attendance at the event scheduled for Saturday.
The media branch of the President of Sri Lanka’s office reported that Modi asked him to attend the swearing-in event. Wickremesinghe agreed and also praised Modi for his victory in a telephone conversation.
“In the discussion, Prime Minister @narendramodi asked President Wickremesinghe to attend his inauguration, a request that President @RW_UNP agreed to,” the statement read.
According to diplomatic sources, Modi had a phone call with Hasina and asked her to come to his inauguration, to which she agreed.
Modi additionally speaks with Prachanda over the phone.
One of the individuals mentioned earlier stated that formal invitations will be sent to all leaders on Thursday.
Significance of Muizzu’s attendance
The invitation extended to Muizzu is important as it was given during a period of strained relations between the two nations.
The relationship between India and the Maldives deteriorated significantly after Muizzu, who has a strong alignment with China, became the Maldivian president in November last year.
Just hours after taking his oath, he requested the removal of Indian soldiers from his nation. Civilians took over the roles previously held by Indian military personnel earlier this month.
The third term
Modi is ready to become the prime minister for a third consecutive term as the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 293 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, making it a historic win.
While the BJP didn’t win a majority independently in the election, the coalition led by the party got 293 seats out of 543. 272 is the number needed to form a majority in the Lower House.
During Modi’s first swearing-in ceremony as prime minister after the BJP’s significant electoral win, the leaders of SAARC countries came together in attendance.
In 2019, leaders from BIMSTEC countries were present at Modi’s oath-taking ceremony as he began his second consecutive term as prime minister.
