New Delhi: Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in along with 72 ministers of the new coalition government. Out of these, 30 are Cabinet Ministers, five hold independent charge, and 36 are Ministers of State. The announcement of portfolios will be made at a later time.
In his third term, also known as Modi 3.0, PM Modi, aged 73, will lead a coalition government. This is the first time since he became Prime Minister in 2014, following a significant victory under the banner of “Brand Modi” after 10 years of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule.
PM Modi is the second Prime Minister, after Jawaharlal Nehru, to be elected for a third consecutive term. In the recent Lok Sabha election, PM Modi won from Varanasi with a margin of 1.5 lakh votes, which is narrower compared to his 4.6 lakh lead over his closest rival in the 2019 election.
The oath ceremony took place at the lawns of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, with the weather office predicting a maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius in the national capital.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath to PM Modi, followed by Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah. Nitin Gadkari was the fourth leader to take the oath of office from the President. JP Nadda, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nirmala Sitharaman, S Jaishankar, and Manohar Lal Khattar also took the oath.
HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular), who took the oath after Mr. Khattar, became the first leader from any of the BJP’s allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to be sworn in. Shortly after, Janata Dal (United) leader Lalan Singh, a close aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, also took the oath.
Sarbananda Sonowal became the first leader from the northeast to take the oath today, followed by Kiren Rijiju.
Virendra Kumar, a prominent Scheduled Castes representative of the BJP and an eight-time MP, was included in the Narendra Modi government. He won the election from the reserved seat of Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh.
Supporters of the leaders who were called to the stage expressed their enthusiasm by clapping and cheering loudly as they watched their leaders approach the microphone to take the oath from the President.
Jyotiraditya Scindia’s inclusion in the Modi 3.0 cabinet has further solidified his significance within the BJP since his departure from the Congress four years ago, marking the commencement of his second term in the Union cabinet.
Hardeep Singh Puri, the former diplomat who played a crucial role in guiding India through two consecutive oil crises, was among the ministers sworn in today.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan has established himself as the true political successor of his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, after being inducted into the Narendra Modi government today. This marks a remarkable comeback for Chirag Paswan in Bihar’s tumultuous political landscape.
Dignitaries from India’s neighboring countries and the Indian Ocean Region, including Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, graced the occasion with their presence.