Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been sworn in for a third consecutive term. He is the second Indian prime minister to remain in power for a third five-year term.
ADVERTISEMENTIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been sworn in for a third consecutive term.
Modi's Indian People's Party (BJP) won 240 of the 272 seats needed for an absolute majority. He must now find coalition partners.
Modi is the second prime minister to be elected to a third term
The 73-year-old man is the second Indian prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to remain in power for a third five-year term.
This is the first time that the BJP under Modi has had to look for a coalition partner to form a government.
Modi's coalition government now relies heavily on two key regional allies – the Telugu Desam Party in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and the Janata Dal (United) in the eastern state of Bihar – to stay in power.
Modi, an avowed Hindu nationalist. He is seen as a supporter of the country's Hindu majority, which makes up 80 percent of India's 1.4 billion population. His supporters credit him with India's rapid economic growth and improved global standing since he took office.
But critics say he also endangered India's democracy by tolerating attacks by Hindu nationalists against the country's minority groups, particularly Muslims, and limiting dissent and media freedom. His political opponents question his government's economic track record. They point to high unemployment rates and rising inequality despite strong economic growth.
