Amid coalition blues, Modi’s oath-taking put off by a day to June 9

With BJP allies reportedly seeking their pound of flesh to back Narendra Modi’s government formation, the oath-taking ceremony of the new government has been put off by a day to June 9 (Sunday).

It was reported earlier that Modi would take oath as the prime minister for a third time on Saturday night. Modi resigned on Wednesday and submitted his letter to President Droupadi Murmu, who told him to continue till a new government takes office. Interestingly, reports also say TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has postponed his swearing-in to June 12 as well.

Coalition talks

The latest development comes amid intense negotiations between Modi and his party’s two critical allies without whose legislative support he cannot form a government as the BJP failed to win a majority in the Lok Sabha elections.

Details of the demands put forth by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar chief minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar have not been made public but political sources they are seeking the post of the Lok Sabha Speaker and several key central ministries.

Foreign leaders

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) itself won 240 Lok Sabha seats, over 30 fewer than the numbers needed to form a government. With its allies, however, the BJP-led NDA has achieved a legislative majority.

Among those invited to Modi’s swearing-in are Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe, Nepal premier Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

The opposition INDIA bloc defied exit poll predictions and won 234 seats.

Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired the last meeting of the Modi 2.0 Cabinet and Council of Ministers, in which he took stock of the poll results and also discussed matters related to the formation of the new government, sources said. Later in the evening, he chaired an NDA meeting to deliberate on the details of government formation.