Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to be sworn in for a third term in office on Sunday, despite his party falling short of a parliamentary majority.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 240 seats in the recent election, 32 seats below a majority in the 543-member lower house, marking their worst performance in a decade.
The BJP now depends on a variety of smaller parties to govern, with larger allies demanding significant concessions in return for their support.
The specifics of Modi’s cabinet have not been announced yet, following days of negotiations since the election results were revealed on Tuesday.
With the coalition of 15 parties known as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the government will have a total of 293 seats.
Here are the key partners that Modi will be working with in his third term:
– Chandrababu Naidu: from jail to kingmaker –
Veteran politician and three-time chief minister Chandrababu Naidu was briefly incarcerated last year on accusations of misusing public funds, but he denies the charges. Naidu leads the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh, the largest BJP ally in the upcoming parliament with 16 seats.
Naidu, a former member of the Congress party, is known for his political acumen and tough negotiating skills. While he has praised Modi as the right leader for the current situation, it is uncertain whether he will receive the senior ministerial position he desires.
“He will not have to beg for it anymore. He will take it,” said political scientist Ramu Manivannan of the University of Denver.
– Nitish Kumar: Fair weather friend –
Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, leads the Janata Dal (United) party, the BJP’s second-largest ally with 12 seats. Kumar has a history of shifting political alliances to suit his interests, including supporting Modi in the recent election after initially aligning with the opposition.
Kumar, who has previously held ministerial positions, is vying for a senior cabinet post, reportedly requesting multiple positions in exchange for his party’s support.
“Modi will need to consider the perspectives of major partners who performed well in the election,” said Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author of a biography on Modi.
– Shiv Sena: Ideological bedfellows –
The Shiv Sena, a Mumbai-based party with a Hindu-first agenda, split into two factions last year over political disputes in Maharashtra. The faction supporting Modi’s party won seven seats in the recent election.
Together with the TDP, Kumar’s party, and Shiv Sena, Modi has a narrow majority of three seats in the upcoming parliament. Additionally, 11 smaller parties, some with only one seat, are allied with the BJP, giving the government a total of 21 seats above the majority line.
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