Narendra Modi is likely to take the oath of office as the Prime Minister of India for an unprecedented third consecutive term on Saturday, June 8, according to News18 reports. The oath-taking ceremony is expected to take place in the evening, with several ministers from Modi's new cabinet also set to be sworn in.

The results of the closely contested 2024 Lok Sabha elections have placed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the driver's seat, albeit with a reduced mandate. The party secured 240 seats, falling short of the 272-seat majority mark by 32 seats.

Despite this setback from the BJP's lofty '400 paar' (cross 400 seats) slogan, Modi has managed to secure another term in office. However, the party will need to rely on its coalition partners, notably Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party, to form a stable government.

This outcome marks the first time since 2014 that the BJP has failed to achieve a majority on its own, a stark contrast to the 303 seats it secured in the 2019 election. The reduced support for the BJP has been interpreted by the Opposition INDIA bloc, led by the Congress party, as a moral and political loss for Modi.

In the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, the BJP faced a significant challenge from the INDIA bloc, spearheaded by the Samajwadi Party, which secured 37 seats. This resulted in a notable reduction of the BJP's seats in the state, dropping from 62 in 2019 to 35 in 2024.

As Modi prepares for his third innings as Prime Minister, the formation of his new cabinet and the distribution of key portfolios will be closely watched. The role of alliance partners in the decision-making process is expected to be more prominent than in previous terms, given the BJP's dependence on their support for a majority in the Lok Sabha.

The oath-taking ceremony on June 8 will mark the beginning of a new chapter in Indian politics, with Modi at the helm once again, but this time navigating the complexities of coalition politics with greater urgency.