After securing 293 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, is set to commence its historic third straight term as the government of India. All the allies of the NDA have already chosen Modi as their leader in a meeting held in Delhi. Narendra Modi will be taking oath as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time this Sunday, June 9, 2024.
India has extended invitations to the top leaders of the South Asian countries, emphasizing the government's 'Neighbourhood First' strategy since NDA’s first term. Narendra Modi has already had a telephonic conversation with the world's top leaders after winning the elections. As per media sources, Modi has personally invited the South Asian leaders for his oath ceremony over the phone.
Which South-Asian Countries Received Formal Invitation?
As per the PTI sources, the top leaders that have been sent a formal invitation for PM Modi's oath-taking ceremony are mainly from South Asian countries. The list consists of leaders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives and Mauritius.
PM Modi has always emphasized on the importance of forming good relations with neighbouring countries. These invitations can be seen as his attempt towards the 'Neighbourhood First' policy.
Which Countries Have Accepted the Invitation?
NDA has officially declared the date and time for the oath ceremony of the new government. This ceremony will take place on June 9, 2024. Formal invitations have already been sent to the top leaders of the South Asia countries. The leaders of the following countries have accepted PM Modi’s invitation for his oath ceremony:
Ranil Wickremesinghe from Sri Lanka
The media office of the President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe confirmed that Narendra Modi has invited him to attend the new government oath ceremony.
The official tweet stated that Wickremesinghe called Modi to congratulate him on winning the election.
During the conversation, Prime Minister @narendramodi invited President Wickremesinghe to his swearing-in ceremony, which President @RW_UNP accepted. (2/2)#DiplomacyLK #LKA #PMD @MFA_SriLanka
— President's Media Division of Sri Lanka - PMD (@PMDNewsGov) June 5, 2024
"During the conversation, Prime Minister @narendramodi invited President Wickremesinghe to his swearing-in ceremony, which President @RW_UNP accepted,"
Sheikh Hasina from Bangladesh
Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, was one of the first international leaders to congratulate PM Modi on his historic win for the third time. This call of hers can be seen as an indicator of the cordial and close relationship between the two top leaders.
Sheikh Hasina is expected to arrive in Delhi a day before the oath ceremony. As per the Bangladesh media, she will be landing in Delhi this Saturday, June 8, 2024.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' from Nepal
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' called PM Modi to congratulate him on his victory in the 18th Lok Sabha elections.
PM Modi and Dahal, better known as ‘Prachanda’, held a telephonic conversation after the results of the Lok Sabha Elections. "During Wednesday evening telephonic conversation between two leaders, invitation was extended to Nepal PM for attendance in the swearing in ceremony. Nepal Prime Minister also confirmed the attendance. Formal announcement will be made soon," stated Nepal Media.
Mohamed Muizzu from Maldives
The decision to invite Maldives presidents Mohamed Muizzu came as a surprise, because of the strained relationship of the two countries since President Mohamed came into power.
Muizzu has accepted the invitation and will be travelling to India with three members of his cabinet, including the foreign minister Moosa Zameer. He will be visiting India for the first time since assuming power.
India has also invited Mauritius and Bhutan for PM Modi's oath ceremony. Inviting the neighboring countries for the oath-taking ceremony can make a big impact on the "Neighbor First" policy of NDA government. The presence of these leaders will also strengthen the foreign policy of India.
Earlier PM Modi had invited the leaders of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) countries for his oath ceremony in 2014, while the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) country leaders were invited for the 2019 swearing-in ceremony of NDA government.
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