Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister of India at a grand ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi, beginning his third term.
Taking the oath, the BJP leader said he would “treat everyone with kindness and without any emotion or malice”.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance won the election with 293 seats, a margin far smaller than exit polls had predicted.
I saw this election Indian opposition resurgencewon 234 seats.
Thousands of guests attended his inauguration ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi. These include the leaders of neighboring Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, but not Pakistan or China.
Security was tight in Delhi, which was declared a no-fly zone and more than 2,500 police officers were deployed around the venue.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of President Draupadi Murmu, Modi said he would uphold India’s sovereignty and integrity and govern with “true faith and loyalty to the Constitution.”
“I will do good to all without fear or favour, in accordance with the Constitution and the law,” he said.
The committee of ministers of Modi’s new cabinet was also sworn in at the ceremony.
Modi, 73, is the second Indian leader after India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to win a third consecutive term.
Exit polls pointed to an outright victory for his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which ruled India for a decade but lost its parliamentary majority in the general election.
His NDA bloc relied on two major allies – Telugu Democratic Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) JD(U) – to cross the 272 seats required to form a government.
Elected lawmakers on Friday voted for Modi as leader of the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament), leader of the parliamentary party of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
It’s unclear what concessions his allies might negotiate in return for their support. Indian media reported that some were seeking important ministerial posts.
The opposition Indian Alliance, led by the Congress party, said the election was a mandate against Modi’s government.
However, Modi refuted the claim on Friday, saying: “The opposition is trying to portray the 2024 Lok Sabha election results as our failure. But we have not failed, we have never failed and we will never fail.”
Modi thanked voters for the mandate and said he would “make every effort” to eradicate corruption and poverty.
“Empowering the poor and the middle class is our top priority,” he said.
During the campaign, Modi and his party were accused by critics of using hate speech, attacking the country’s Muslim minority and jailing opposition figures.
On Friday, the Prime Minister-elect said the NDA alliance was “committed to the principle of ‘sarva panth sambhava’ (religious equality).
The Indian Union said it would fulfill its responsibilities in Parliament by controlling the government and protecting the constitution.
