June 9th 2024.
New Delhi: On Sunday, a grand ceremony was held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan to witness the swearing-in of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his council of ministers. The event was graced by the presence of top leaders from India's neighboring countries and the Indian Ocean region, including Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. It was a glittering affair, with the attendance of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and Seychelles Vice-President Ahmed Afif.
Modi, who secured a third consecutive term as Prime Minister after his party, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, won 293 out of 543 seats in the recent Lok Sabha polls, took the oath of office. Along with him, several senior BJP leaders, including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, and S Jaishankar, were also sworn in as cabinet ministers. This shows the Prime Minister's focus on continuity and experience, as these leaders held senior positions in his previous term. Additionally, BJP president J P Nadda returned to the cabinet after five years, while former chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Manohar Lal Khattar were among the new faces in Modi's cabinet. Other BJP leaders, such as Piyush Goyal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Bhupender Yadav, who were previously in the Rajya Sabha but have now been elected to the Lok Sabha, were also retained as ministers.
The front row at the ceremony was reserved for the foreign leaders, who were invited by the Ministry of External Affairs to witness the event. They were seated in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and the list included Hasina, Afif, Muizzu, Prachanda, Wickremesinghe, Jugnauth, and Tobgay. The Ministry stated that this gesture was in line with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and 'SAGAR' vision, which focuses on cooperation with countries in the Indian Ocean region. Under the broader framework of SAGAR, India has been working closely with these countries to promote security and growth in the region.
The previous two swearing-in ceremonies of Modi also saw the attendance of foreign leaders. In 2014, when he first became Prime Minister after a massive electoral victory for the BJP, SAARC leaders were present. In 2019, when Modi took office for a second consecutive term, leaders of BIMSTEC countries were invited. BIMSTEC comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, and India.
Among the foreign leaders present, the presence of Muizzu holds special significance. This is his first visit to India since he became the President of Maldives on November 17 last year. The relationship between India and Maldives has been strained in recent times, as Muizzu is known for his pro-China stance. Immediately after his oath, he had called for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from Maldives, which was eventually replaced by civilian personnel earlier this month. Modi is expected to hold separate bilateral meetings with the foreign leaders during their visit to India.
Although the BJP did not secure a majority on its own in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the party-led alliance won a total of 293 seats.
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