With his upcoming inauguration for a third term on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the first leader to hold the position three times, following Jawaharlal Nehru of the Congress. At Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi, Modi met with President Droupadi Murmu to tender his resignation and that of his cabinet. He was asked to stay in his role until the swearing-in ceremony by the President.

After winning 303 seats in 2019 and 282 seats in 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to capture 240 seats this time, 32 seats shy of the necessary majority of 272. In order to win a third term, the party will now depend on the 53 seats that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members have gained.

After defeating Ajay Rai of the Congress by fewer than 150,000 votes, Modi was able to hold onto his parliamentary seat in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and was elected to a third term as an MP from the temple city.

Following his announcement last night that the NDA would form the government for a third time and referring to the election results as a “victory for the world’s largest democracy,” Modi chaired the final cabinet meeting of his present administration earlier today.

With the support of the NDA, the BJP had hoped to win over 400 seats, but they were driven back by the opposition alliance led by the Congress party’s India Bloc. Despite predictions from exit polls to the contrary, the opposition performed well and won 232 seats, cutting the BJP’s lead in several states.

The BJP was able to overcome losses in other states by maintaining its majority in Odisha (20 out of 21 seats), Andhra Pradesh (21 out of 25), Madhya Pradesh (29 out of 29), and Bihar (30 out of 40).

Notably, the BJP made history by taking home Kerala’s maiden Lok Sabha seat. The party has always had trouble in the south, but the outcomes in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana—where its number of seats more than doubled to eight—indicate a change in direction. For the second time in a row, the party did not win any seats in Tamil Nadu; instead, the ruling DMK and its allies in the India Bloc secured all 39 seats.

Modi remarked that the Indian people had “reaffirmed their trust” in the NDA for a third time while speaking to an audience at the BJP headquarters in Delhi late on Tuesday night. “”I humbly thank the people for their support and promise them that we will carry on the positive efforts of the last ten years to meet their hopes and dreams.”
Furthermore, Modi commended Telugu Desam Party leader Chandrababu Naidu and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar, both of whom are recognized as seasoned politicians and kingmakers from the coalition era. Naidu’s TDP has sixteen MPs, whereas Kumar’s JD(U) has twelve.

The NDA’s total would fall to 265 seats, below the majority threshold, if they lose these 28 seats. Modi and the BJP may face difficulties if the India Bloc convinces Naidu, a former Congress ally, and Nitish Kumar, a founding member who defected to join the BJP, to come back.

According to sources, the Congress and the India Bloc are thinking of contacting Naidu and Kumar. Senior officials of the coalition suggest it as a potential tactic, notwithstanding Congress’s cautious stance on the subject. Regarding these rumors, Kumar has not responded. Today, Naidu told reporters in Delhi, “I am with the NDA… heading to a meeting.”

Today, the India Bloc and the NDA are gathering in Delhi to discuss the election outcomes and future plans.
Important Points:

On schedule, Narendra Modi will swear in for a historic third term as prime minister.
Although the BJP failed to secure a majority, it will need allies to cross the 272 threshold.
In Modi 3.0, JD(U) and Shiv Sena are vying for cabinet posts.
According to sources, Modi might take the oath on June 8 because the NDA now has 292 seats, which puts it over the majority.
While accepting Modi’s resignation, President Droupadi Murmu asked him to continue on until the next government took office.

After Jawaharlal Nehru, Modi would be the second leader to hold three terms in office if the NDA wins the majority.

According to sources, Modi presided over a cabinet meeting earlier today to go over the outcomes of the Lok Sabha election and talk about issues pertaining to creating the next administration.

The last meeting of the Modi 2.0 cabinet began at 11:30 AM at the Prime Minister’s house.

Senior NDA officials have begun traveling to Delhi in the meantime in preparation for a coalition meeting to discuss the specifics of the government formation that is scheduled to begin at 4 PM.

The meeting will be attended by Telugu Desam Party President Chandrababu Naidu, who is expected to become the next Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, and JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.