Narendra Modi is likely to take oath as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time on Saturday, June 8, said news reports. According to a News18 report citing sources, Modi will take oath as the Prime Minister in the evening of June 8. Several ministers from Modi’s new cabinet will also reportedly take oath on the same evening.
The outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections has been declared, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing 240 seats. This figure falls notably short of the anticipated count and lacks the 272-seat majority mark by 32 seats.
Despite this electoral setback, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clinched a third term in office. However, the BJP will need to rely on its coalition partners, particularly Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) and Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP, for effective governance. This result stands as a departure from Modi’s ambitions, epitomized by the ‘400 paar’ slogan, which aimed for a resounding victory.
This marks the BJP’s first instance since 2014 of failing to secure a majority independently, contrasting sharply with the 303 seats it garnered in the 2019 elections. The diminished support for the BJP has been construed by the Opposition INDIA bloc as a moral and political blow to Modi, with the Congress underscoring this waning backing.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP encountered a formidable challenge from the INDIA bloc led by the Samajwadi Party, which clinched 37 seats. Consequently, there was a noticeable drop in the BJP’s seat tally in the state, plummeting from 62 in 2019 to 35 in 2024.
Amidst other noteworthy performances nationwide, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) secured 29 seats, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) attained 22, and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) garnered 16 seats. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under the leadership of Sharad Pawar secured 7 seats and is leading in one additional constituency.
The Janata Dal (United) – JD(U) clinched 12 seats, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) secured 9, while the original Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde (SHS) obtained 7 seats. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) managed to win 5 seats.
Other parties also registered notable wins, with the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) each securing 4 seats. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) each clinched 3 seats.