Modi set to be formally elected as alliance leader as India coalition talks progress
Newly elected lawmakers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) arrived in New Delhi on Friday for their first meeting at which he will be formally elected as their leader, ahead of presenting his claim to form a new coalition government.
Although Modi will become prime minister for a record-equalling third consecutive term, this is the first time his Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has needed regional parties for support to form the government.
The BJP, which enjoyed a handsome majority in the previous two terms, secured only 240 seats, way behind the 272 mark needed to form a government in its own right.
The NDA won 293 seats in the 543-member lower house of parliament and the INDIA alliance led by Rahul Gandhi’s centrist Congress party won over 230 seats, more than forecast.
Modi will be sworn in for a third term on the evening of June 9, the spokesperson of the NDA told Reuters.
He will be only the second person after India’s independence hero and first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to hold office for three consecutive terms.
After meeting party lawmakers early on Friday, Modi will attend a meeting of the NDA where he will be formally elected as the leader.
He was expected to visit President Droupadi Murmu with allied party leaders on Friday to seek her formal approval to form the next government, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
Indian media has reported that Modi’s allies, mainly the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United), are eyeing the post of the speaker in the lower house while the BJP is expected to retain four key ministries — foreign affairs, defence, interior and finance.
The coalition negotiations are a throwback to an era before 2014 — when Modi swept to power with an outright BJP majority — in which alliance partners haggled for positions and benefits.
Modi’s party has not revealed what concessions alliance members were given to secure their support, but several larger parties were seeking plum ministerial portfolios.
The Indian Express reported on Friday that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh — the largest BJP ally with 16 seats — would press for the revival of plans to build a new state legislative capital.
Rahul Gandhi has demanded an investigation into sharp stock market moves towards the end of the elections, alleging on Thursday that Modi gave misleading investment advice.