Modi swearing-in at Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 30, 7 pm

Narendra Modi will be sworn in as prime minister for a second term along with his new Council of Ministers at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday evening.

A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the prime minister and
other members of the Union Council of Ministers on May 30 at 7 pm.

Modi, who was elected the leader of the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), was appointed prime minister by the President on Saturday evening after he staked claim to form the government. The BJP alone has 303 MPs; with allies, the NDA is placed at 353.

In 2014, heads of state of neighbouring countries, including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, were invited to the ceremony. But there was no official word about invitations being extended to foreign heads this time. There are reports that Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has already accepted the invitation.

With the swearing-in schedule announced, all eyes will be on the composition of the new Modi government. It is not clear who all will take oath along with Modi.

Sources said it was likely that only a few BJP ministers and allies’ representatives would take oath on Thursday and the Council of Ministers will be expanded at a later time. In 2014, Modi had taken oath with over 46 ministers and the ministry was expanded later.

BJP chief Amit Shah is likely to be inducted while Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may not be on the team as the latter himself had suggested that he be kept out owing to his health condition. Shah is speculated to take the reins of the Ministry of Home Affairs and in such a scenario, the party will have to look for a new face for party presidentship.

Amethi MP and Textile Minister Smriti Irani is also likely to get a plum portfolio after she emerged as the giant killer, defeating Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

It is also to be seen whether Modi will accommodate External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who did not contest in the Lok Sabha elections, by bringing her through the Rajya Sabha.

Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Ravishankar Prasad are among the other names doing the rounds while Modi is also expected to bring in new faces to the Council of Ministers. It is also to be seen who Modi will select from West Bengal and Odisha where the BJP had an impressive showing. From the allies, he is likely to induct LJP leader Ramvilas Paswan’s son Chirag while the JD(U) is also expected to get a Cabinet berth and a couple of ministers of state posts.

Though the JD(U) joined the NDA, it had not taken ministerial positions in the outgoing government while its MP Harivansh was elected as Rajya Sabha deputy chairman.

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is also reported to be lobbying for son P Raveendranath Kumar’s Cabinet entry.