Narendra Modi is set to take oath as the Prime Minister for a third time on Saturday, after being elected as the leader of his allies in a key meeting held in Delhi. Leaders from neighboring countries in South Asia have been invited to the ceremony as part of the government’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have confirmed their attendance after speaking to PM Modi over the phone. The media division of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office announced that he has accepted the invitation and also extended congratulations to PM Modi for his electoral victory. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate PM Modi, will arrive in Delhi a day before the event.
Formal invitations have also been sent to top leaders of Nepal, Bhutan, and Mauritius for the ceremony. While the BJP fell short of the halfway mark with 240 seats, the NDA comfortably surpassed the magic number with 293 out of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha. The NDA partners, including Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar, unanimously chose PM Modi as the leader of the alliance during their meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence.
In 2014, leaders from SAARC countries attended PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, while in 2019, leaders from BIMSTEC countries attended his oath ceremony. The presence of leaders from neighboring countries underscores India’s commitment to foster strong ties with
