Which world leaders will attend PM Modi's swearing-in?
What's the story
The members of the National Democratic Alliance on Wednesday extended support to incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi to form the government for a third time. The Varanasi MP will likely take the oath of office on Saturday (June 8). According to reports, the ceremony will be attended by prominent South Asian leaders, reflecting the Indian government's "Neighbourhood First" policy.
Foreign presence
Wickremesinghe, Sheikh Hasina accept invitation
Leaders from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have confirmed their attendance at Modi's swearing-in ceremony. The Sri Lankan President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, accepted the invitation and congratulated Modi on his electoral victory, according to his office's media division. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Modi, is expected to arrive in Delhi on Friday.
Additional guests
Invitations extended to other South Asian leaders
Formal invitations for Modi's swearing-in ceremony have also been sent to Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda," Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and Mauritius's PM Pravind Jugnauth. In the results declared on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party—with 240 seats—fell short of expectations against a surprisingly strong showing by the opposition. The BJP—after failing to secure a majority on its own—is relying on its partners to form the government. The BJP-led NDA with 292 seats has crossed the majority mark.
Information
Who attended Modi's swearing-in in 2014, 2019
In 2014, the leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries attended PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony, while in 2019, the leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries were present at his oath-taking ceremony.
NDA partners
BJP gets written support from TDP, JD(U)
There was speculation that the opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) —holding 232 seats—might approach the Telugu Desam Party's Chandrababu Naidu and the Janata Dal (United)'s Nitish Kumar and their 28 MPs. To counter this, the BJP obtained written support from both leaders. Both the parties are crucial for the formation of the NDA 3.0 government. Notably, in his post-election results speech at BJP headquarters, PM Modi had made a special mention of the two.