PM Shehbaz Sharif congratulates Modi on third term as Indian PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday felicitated Narendra Modi as he took oath of the office of the Prime Minister of India.

“Felicitations to Narendra Modi on taking oath as the Prime Minister of India,” the prime minister wrote on his X timeline.

Modi was sworn in as Indian PM on Sunday for a third term after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won the general election with 293 seats – a much lower margin than predicted, contrary to the 234 seats won by now resurged opposition.

Felicitations to @narendramodi on taking oath as the Prime Minister of India.

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 10, 2024

Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled outright for the past decade but failed to repeat its previous two landslide wins this time around, defying analysts’ expectations and exit polls.

He was instead forced into quick-fire talks with the 15-member coalition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which guaranteed him the parliamentary numbers to govern.

Narendra Modi, flanked by top BJP officials and party leaders of his coalition, vowed in a ceremony marking his formal assumption of power to “bear true allegiance to the constitution of India”.

Honour guards lined the steps of the presidential palace where thousands gathered to watch Modi, dressed in a white kurta and with blue waistcoat, take the oath.

South Asian leaders from neighbouring Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka attended the ceremony but neighbouring rivals China and Pakistan had notably not sent top leaders.