NEW DELHI: As PM-elect Narendra Modi gears up for his third swearing-in ceremony as India’s Prime Minister, leaders from India’s neighbourhood have begun to arrive.
Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and Vice President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif were the first ones to arrive at New Delhi.
The other leaders expected to arrive include the Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth, President of the Republic of Maldives Mohammad Muizzu, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan Tsering Tobgay, President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal also known as Prachanda.
Dr Muizzu will be coming to India for the first time since he assumed charge as President in November last year.
Relations between India and Maldives had taken a downturn after President Muizzu asked Indian military personnel (who were deployed with two Dornier aircraft and one helicopter) to return. After a few round of core group talks the military personnel were replaced by civilian technical staff.
Bhutan’s PM will be coming to India for the second time after he was elected as PM for the second time in January this year. Bangladesh’s PM Sheikh Hasina will be visiting India for the first time after she became PM for the fourth time in January.
India has followed a tradition of inviting leaders from the neighborhood for PM Modi’s swearing-in. PM Modi’s earlier terms too (2014 and 2019) were marked by the presence of leaders from SAARC nations and BIMSTEC.
Meanwhile, leaders from across the world have called/sent congratulatory messages to PM Modi on his third term. These include President Biden, President Putin, PM Sunak, French President Macron.