NEW DELHI, June 9, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is
set to be sworn in Sunday for a third term after worse than expected election
results left him reliant on coalition partners to govern.

With Modi yet to announce the makeup of this cabinet, the ceremony at the
presidential palace on Sunday evening (13:45 GMT) will be keenly watched when
some 30 ministers-to-be also take the oath on the constitution.

Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled outright for the
past decade but failed to repeat its previous two landslide wins this time
around, defying analysts' expectations and exit polls.

He was instead forced into quick-fire talks with the 15-member coalition, the
National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which guaranteed him the parliamentary
numbers to govern.

Larger coalition parties have demanded hefty concessions in exchange for
their support.

The Hindustan Times described days of "hectic talks", while the Times of
India said the BJP had sought to "pare down" their partners' demands.

It is widely reported that the Telgu Desam Party (TDP), the largest BJP ally
with 16 seats, has extracted four cabinet positions.

The next biggest party, the Janata Dal (United) with 12 seats, has negotiated
two.

Modi's previous cabinet had 81 ministers.

- Off-limits' -

But Indian media reported widely that the top jobs including the four most
powerful posts of the interior, foreign, finance and defence would remain in
the BJP's grip.

"Key ministries like home, defence, finance, and external affairs are off-
limits," the Times of India reported.

It suggests that top Modi aides Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari --
interior, defence minister and transport ministers respectively -- will be in
the new team.

Analysts said that the coalition will shift parliamentary politics and force
Modi's once domineering BJP into a somewhat more conciliatory approach.

"In the past, the BJP has had confidence because of its sheer majority," said
Sajjan Kumar, head of the Delhi-based political research group PRACCIS.

"The coalition will now force the BJP to engage in more consultation."

Zoya Hasan of Jawaharlal Nehru University said Modi faced potential
challenges ahead -- warning he may be "meeting his match" in the "crafty
politicians" of the TDP's Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar.

- Opposition nominate Rahul Gandhi -

Security was tight in the capital New Delhi on Sunday, with thousands of
troops and police deployed as regional leaders flew in.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan President Ranil
Wickremesinghe -- as well as leaders including those of Bhutan, Nepal and the
Maldives -- are to due to attend the ceremony and following state banquet.

Neighbouring rivals China and Pakistan are notably absent in not sending a
top leader.

Modi on Sunday laid flowers at the memorial to father of the nation Mahatma
Gandhi, before the Hindu nationalist leader paid his respects at the national
war memorial.

Modi's chief rival, Rahul Gandhi, was nominated on Saturday to lead India's
opposition in parliament, after he defied analysts' forecasts to help the
Congress party nearly double its parliamentary numbers.

It was Congress's best result since Modi was swept to power a decade ago,
rescuing the party from the political wilderness.

A meeting of the Congress leadership on Saturday voted unanimously to
recommend Gandhi's election as India's official opposition leader, a post
that had been left vacant since 2014.

Gandhi is the scion of the dynasty that dominated Indian politics for decades
and is the son, grandson and great-grandson of former prime ministers,
beginning with independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru.

If elected, as expected, he will be recognised as India's official opposition
leader when the new parliament sits, which local media reports suggest will
happen as soon as early next week.

Parliamentary regulations require the opposition leader to come from a party
that commands at least 10 percent of the lawmakers in the 543-seat lower
house.

The post has been vacant for 10 years because two dismal election results for
Congress -- once India's dominant party -- left it short of that threshold.