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Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for a historic third consecutive term on June 9, alongside 72 ministers who are yet to be assigned their duties.
The 73-year-old Indian leader equalled the achievement of the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who was elected for a third consecutive term.
Notably, this will be the first time Narendra Modi will share power with his allies since he first assumed office in 2014.
While the 2024 Lok Sabha elections garnered global attention towards India, Modi’s victory was described as a ‘shock’ and a ‘stunning setback’ for him and his party.
Here is how the international media covered Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony:
The Washington Post
The publication, which earlier labelled India’s 2024 Lok Sabha election results as a ‘stunning setback’ for PM Modi and his party, stated, “Narendra Modi was sworn in Sunday for a third five-year term as India’s Prime Minister after shock election results forced him to seek help from coalition partners to form a government.”
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The New York Times
The NYT reported, “As a humbled Narendra Modi was sworn in on Sunday for a third term as India’s prime minister, the political air in New Delhi appeared transformed.”
“To many, Mr Modi’s shift in approach can mean only good things for the country’s democracy – a move toward moderation in a hugely diverse nation that was being whipped into a Hindu-first monolith in the image of one man,” it added.
Bloomberg
Bloomberg recorded the splendour of the swearing-in ceremony, which had 8,000 attendees, including Bollywood stars, business moguls, and international heads of state.
It also mentioned that this is the first time Prime Minister Modi will be sharing his power while extending his leadership.
The Guardian
Describing Modi as “India’s strongman leader”, The Guardian’s coverage examined the socio-political background of the 73-year-old’s third term in office. It included political analysts’ opinions on the consequences of India’s secularism and democracy.
The report also covered Narendra Modi’s previous terms and how his policies affected the country’s reputation both at home and abroad.
The Guardian further outlined Modi’s obstacles, which include leading a diverse coalition and implementing economic reforms.
BBC
The BBC reported on the oath-taking ceremony without analysts offering their opinions on Modi 3.0 or the election outcomes. Modi’s speech outlining his vision for India’s future and the difficulties it faces was mentioned in the report. The significant security measures implemented due to the enormous number of attendees were also highlighted.
However, it pointed out that in an election that saw a “resurgence of India’s opposition,” which won 234 seats, the ruling alliance won by a smaller margin than anticipated by the exit polls.
AFP
The French news agency AFP detailed everything from the arrangements to the coalition partners, whose backing was essential to the government’s establishment. It stated that the larger coalition parties have requested significant concessions in exchange for their support, even if the specifics of the new cabinet are yet unknown.
“Flanked by top BJP officials and party leaders of his coalition, Modi vowed in a ceremony marking his formal assumption of power to ‘bear true allegiance to the constitution of India’,” the agency wrote.
DW
The German outlet reported on the Indian PM’s oath-taking while mentioning that the country’s election results “unexpectedly left him reliant on coalition partners to form a government.”
Noting the absence of "China and Pakistan leaders” from the oath-taking ceremony, the report mentioned Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s presence among those of Bhutan, Nepal, and the Maldives.
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera highlighted compliments from world leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden as they covered the response to Narendra Modi’s oath-taking.
It covered Modi’s leadership style, how his policies are viewed internationally, and highlighted India’s efforts to fortify regional ties by mentioning the attendance of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) leaders.
According to the publication, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) capacity to guarantee policy certainty in a coalition administration will be put to the test by the lack of a majority.
It also mentioned the difficulties the partnership would have from Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu, two coalition-era veterans who “have friends across the aisle” and “Opposition will be wooing them.”
