NEW DELHI (AP) \u2014 India\u2019s Narendra Modi, newly sworn in for a third straight term, named a Cabinet on Monday that retained his top ministers in crucial portfolios despite his Hindu nationalist party losing their majority in a shock election result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was no change in the top four ministries. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who spearheaded the country\u2019s foreign policy for the last five years, was handed back his position as the External Affairs Minister. Amit Shah will continue as India\u2019s Home Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman will remain as the Finance Minister and Rajnath Singh will continue to be Defense Minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India\u2019s six-week-long election came to an end last week, in which Modi\u2019s Bharatiya Janata Party failed to secure a majority on its own after it won landslide victories in 2014 and 2019. However, his National Democratic Alliance coalition won enough seats to form the government, with him at the helm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the first time\u00a0the BJP under\u00a0Modi\u00a0has needed support from its regional allies to form a government after a decade of commanding the majority in India\u2019s parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final election results showed Modi\u2019s BJP won 240 seats, well below the 272 needed for a majority. Together, the parties in the NDA coalition secured 293 seats in the 543-member lower house of parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modi, 73, is only the second Indian prime minister to win a third straight term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Sunday, he and 71 ministers took the oath of office at India\u2019s presidential palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi. 61 of them were from the BJP while the remaining were BJP\u2019s NDA allies. Only seven of them were women, and not a single one from the Muslim community, the largest minority group in India whose political representation\u00a0as lawmakers has shrunk\u00a0under Modi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The results, which defied exit polls that predicted a landslide for the BJP, left Modi\u2019s coalition government largely dependent on two key regional allies \u2014 the Telugu Desam Party in southern Andhra Pradesh state and Janata Dal (United) in eastern Bihar state \u2014 to stay in power. On Sunday, two lawmakers from each party were sworn in as ministers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The surprising drop in support for the BJP means Modi needs support from his regional allies to stay in power, and experts say he may have to\u00a0adapt to a style of governance\u00a0he is not used to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An avowed Hindu nationalist, Modi is considered a\u00a0champion of the country\u2019s Hindu majority, who make up 80% of India\u2019s 1.4 billion population. His supporters credit him with rapid economic growth and improving India\u2019s global standing since coming to power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But critics say he has also\u00a0undermined India\u2019s democracy and its status as a secular nation\u00a0with attacks by Hindu nationalists against the country\u2019s minorities, particularly Muslims, and a shrinking space for dissent and free media. His political opponents, who are now\u00a0more emboldened than before, also rallied their campaign around his government\u2019s mixed economic record, pointing to high unemployment and growing inequality despite strong growth, which analysts say resonated with voters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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