PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony likely on June 8
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet tendered their resignation to President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday. "The President accepted the resignations but requested that they remain in office until a new government is formed," a statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan said. This comes ahead of Modi's anticipated swearing-in for a third consecutive term on Saturday (June 8), following the Lok Sabha elections which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secure a clear majority.
Union Cabinet convened at Modi's residence
The Union Cabinet convened at Modi's residence on Wednesday, a day after the Lok Sabha election results were announced. The meeting resulted in the recommendation for the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha, setting the stage for the 18th Lok Sabha. Despite falling short of a majority with 240 seats, the BJP is set to form a government with its allies' support, as the NDA secured a total of 293 seats in the 543-member House.
NDA allies begin Cabinet position negotiations
Senior NDA leaders have started arriving in Delhi for a meeting to discuss the formation of the new government. Among those expected to attend are Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party president Chandrababu Naidu. According to reports, the BJP's allies have already begun submitting their demands for cabinet positions in Modi's third term government.
Allies seek top positions in NDA 3.0
Reports suggest that the JD(U) is demanding three Cabinet seats, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction seeking one Cabinet and two MoS berths, and Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party likely to press for one Cabinet and one state minister post. The meeting of the NDA partners is expected to begin shortly.
BJP's tally falls short, Congress gains ground
In the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, the BJP with 240 seats, could not cross the majority mark of 272. This tally is significantly lower than BJP's previous tallies of 303 in 2019 and 282 in 2014. Meanwhile, the Congress gained significant ground by winning 99 seats compared to their previous tallies of 52 in 2019 and just 44 seats in 2014.
