Nepal PM and Sri Lankan President to Attend PM Modi’s Swearing-In Ceremony

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 8th June. Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe are set to arrive in the national capital on June 9 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ceremony follows the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) victory in the recent Lok Sabha elections, securing a third consecutive term for PM Modi.

PM Dahal, also known as ‘Prachanda,’ confirmed his attendance after a telephonic conversation with PM Modi on Wednesday evening. During the call, PM Modi extended an invitation to his Nepali counterpart, which Dahal accepted. A formal announcement from Nepal is expected soon. “During Wednesday evening’s telephonic conversation between the two leaders, the invitation was extended to the Nepali PM for attendance in the swearing-in ceremony. The Nepali Prime Minister also confirmed the attendance. A formal announcement will be made soon,” a senior official told ANI on condition of anonymity.

This confirmation follows Prachanda’s congratulations to PM Modi on Tuesday for the BJP-led NDA’s electoral success. Prachanda commended the enthusiastic participation of the Indian electorate, celebrating the completion of the world’s largest democratic exercise.

Similarly, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has accepted PM Modi’s invitation to the ceremony. President Wickremesinghe congratulated PM Modi on the NDA’s victory during a phone call, during which PM Modi extended the invitation that Wickremesinghe accepted.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is also scheduled to attend the ceremony. PM Hasina will leave Dhaka on June 8 and return home on June 10, confirmed M Nazrul Islam, the Bangladesh PM’s speech writer. The change in her schedule aligns with the updated date for the oath-taking ceremony.

PM Modi will take the oath on June 9 after the BJP-led NDA won 293 seats in the 18th Lok Sabha elections, surpassing the majority mark. The opposition INDIA bloc secured 234 seats. The ceremony was initially scheduled for June 8 but was rescheduled following the counting of votes on Tuesday. The BJP’s tally of 240 seats reflects a decline from its 2019 tally of 303, while the main opposition Congress showed significant growth, winning 99 seats compared to 52 in 2019.