In a grand ceremony held on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in for his third term, marking a significant moment in Indian politics. However, the event highlighted a controversial issue: the absence of Muslim representation in the newly formed government.
The ceremony, which took place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and was attended by thousands of dignitaries including leaders of seven regional countries, Bollywood stars, and industrialists, saw the swearing-in of Modi alongside 30 federal ministers and 41 state ministers. Notably, not a single member of the Muslim community was included in the cabinet.
This unprecedented exclusion is attributed to the fact that no Muslims were elected from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the recent general elections. Historically, every newly elected council of ministers since India’s independence has had at least one Muslim representative, making this the first time that a Muslim MP has not been elected.
The 18th Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of parliament, reflects a drastic decrease in Muslim representation, with only 24 Muslim MPs elected out of a total of 543 members. Of these, 21 are from the opposition INDIA bloc, and three are from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
Despite Modi’s coalition retaining power, the BJP did not achieve a clear majority, unlike in previous elections. This outcome is seen as a setback for Modi, who had been predicted by surveys and exit polls to secure even more seats than in 2019. The premier had to rely on support from allies under the NDA banner to retain his position.
In a statement following his nomination as coalition head by the NDA, Modi adopted a conciliatory tone, emphasizing the importance of unanimity in governance. “We have won the majority … but to run the country it is unanimity that is crucial … we will strive for unanimity,” he said.
The first meeting of the new cabinet is scheduled for this evening, where they will request President Droupadi Murmu to convene the parliamentary session soon. Modi, who began his political career with the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), now joins independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru as one of the few to serve three consecutive terms as Prime Minister of India.
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