Today, Narendra Modi was formally elected by lawmakers of his National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to serve as prime minister for a historic third consecutive term, as the world’s most populous nation returns to coalition governance. Modi is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu later in the day to present his claim to form a new government, with a spokesperson from one of his allies indicating that his swearing-in is set for Sunday evening.
This marks the first time in a decade that Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has required the support of regional parties to form the government. The party, which enjoyed a significant majority in the previous two terms, secured only 240 seats in the lower house of parliament, falling short of the 272 needed to govern independently.
The NDA won 293 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, while the INDIA alliance, led by Rahul Gandhi’s centrist Congress party, exceeded forecasts by winning more than 230 seats. Lawmakers from the BJP and its allies, including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Janata Dal (United), unanimously voted for Modi to become the leader at the alliance’s first meeting following the June 4 vote count and declaration of results.
Modi’s nomination was proposed by outgoing Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and was seconded and supported by other outgoing ministers and leaders of parties within the alliance.
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