New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the oath today alongside 71 ministers of the new coalition government. The ministers include 30 Cabinet Ministers, five with independent charge, and 36 Ministers of State. The portfolios will be announced later.
At 73, PM Modi is starting his third term, heading a coalition government for the first time since his initial victory in 2014. This marks his third consecutive term, making him the second Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to achieve this.
राष्ट्रपति भवन के प्रांगण में आज शाम हुए समारोह में मैंने प्रधानमंत्री पद की शपथ ली। मैं और मंत्रिपरिषद के मेरे सहयोगी, 140 करोड़ देशवासियों की सेवा करने और देश को विकास की नई ऊंचाइयों पर ले जाने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध हैं। pic.twitter.com/TKNNomHf0r
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 9, 2024
The oath ceremony took place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan lawns, with the national capital experiencing temperatures up to 42 degrees Celsius.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath to PM Modi, followed by Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, JP Nadda, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nirmala Sitharaman, S Jaishankar, and Manohar Lal Khattar. HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular) was the first ally from the BJP’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to take the oath, followed by Janata Dal (United) leader Lalan Singh.
Sarbananda Sonowal and Kiren Rijiju were the first leaders from the northeast to be sworn in. Virendra Kumar, a prominent Scheduled Castes face and eight-time MP from Madhya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh, was also inducted.
Supporters cheered loudly as leaders approached the stage to take the oath. Jyotiraditya Scindia’s inclusion solidified his role in the BJP since his switch from the Congress four years ago. Former diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, marking his significant return to Bihar’s political scene, were among those sworn in.
Leaders from neighboring countries, including Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, attended the event.