Narendra Modi had invited SAARC leaders in 2014 and BIMSTEC leaders in 2019 for his swearing in.
This time the theme is neighbourhood. In 2014, Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif visit was the head-line hunting event but this time the western neighbour has not been invited.
In 2019 also, the then Pak PM Imran Khan was given a miss.
Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh PM, arrives for Narendra Modi's hat-trick oath ceremony. Ms Hasina had visited India last in September 2023, when she came as a leader of the guest country invited to India’s G20 Presidency.
Even Maldives President Muizzu confirms visit, signals better ties
Seychelles Vice President Ahmed Afif also arrived.
In a statement issued by the President’s office, Maldives Prez, Muizzu said he looked forward to working with Prime Minister Modi to further strengthen the ties with India, noting that Maldives-India relations is “heading in the positive direction”.
This is an important signal to New Delhi, that Male was keen to repair the bilateral ties that had suffered a setback since Muizzu rode to power last year
President's party had run a sustained anti-India plank and several of his ministers had mocked at Modi's visit to Lakshwadeep.
This is the first time that Muizzu, who had even referred to India as a bully, has positively assessed the bilateral relationship. This may be too early to call it a diplomatic coup and positive vibes are crucial to note.
The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement Saturday confirming the names of the leaders attending the ceremony on Sunday.
“The swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers following the General Elections 2024 is scheduled on 09 June 2024. On the occasion, leaders from India’s neighbourhood and Indian Ocean region have been cordially invited as distinguished guests,” it said.
Apart from participating in the swearing-in ceremony, the ministry said the leaders will attend a banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan Sunday evening.
In the previous two times when Bangladesh was invited for the swearing-in ceremony in 2014 and 2019, Hasina could not come due to prior commitments.
In 2014, she had sent Bangladesh parliament’s Speaker Shirin Shermin Chaudhury and in 2019, Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid had attended the ceremony. So, this is the first time Hasina is attending Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.
A bilateral or one-on-one meeting is likely between Ms Hasina and Prime Minister Modi.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that the visit of the leaders to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi for his third consecutive term is in keeping with the highest priority accorded by India to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and ‘SAGAR’ vision.
Leaders from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar are not part of the list of leaders this time.
India has 'no diplomatic ties' with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and Myanmar’s military-ruled junta is battling a series of crisis at home.
The Modi government has strained ties with Pakistan since Uri misadventure by Pakistan.
Leaders attending the swearing-in ceremony:
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’
Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay
Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe
Maldives President Dr Mohamed Muizzu
Seychelles Vice-President Ahmed Afif
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth
All that glitters is not gold ..... and there can be another way of looking at it..... Empty vessels of 99 sound much !!
New Nautanki is called .... "I will think over...." ....
Will it be Shashi Tharoor ?? Is it lack of confidence elsewhere ... or just acting pricy ??
Another one comes from 'aapa' --- Opposition INDI alliance may stake claim
The real story is 'grapes are sour' for both the parties Congress - the virtuous party of 'democracy' and Emergency !! And of course the offshoot of the grand old party -- the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee.
Even basic courtesy has vanished !!
Meanwhile, the 'egg' of face and check the ground reality !!
Rahul Gandhi’s two Yatras failed to make any impact in MP
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal after a marathon CWC meeting in Delhi on Saturday told the press that the party will send a team to Madhya Pradesh to introspect the humiliating loss in the Lok Sabha elections.
Madhya Pradesh is perhaps the only state where the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi-led two yatras, Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, passed through.
Bharat Jodo Yatra which began from Kanyakumari, entered Madhya Pradesh via neighbouring Maharashtra in the last week of November 2022, just one year before the State Assembly elections slated for November 2023.
On March 2, 2024, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Madhya Pradesh after covering over 650 km (MP leg yatra) distance in span of over one week.
Interestingly, the Lok Sabha elections were announced (on March 16) just a week after, Rahul Gandhi's Nyay Yatra crossed Madhya Pradesh. The state Congress leaders had assumed that the second yatra would have an impact on the Lok Sabha elections.
However, in the context of the Lok Sabha elections, Nyay Yatra's impact in Madhya Pradesh was even worse than Bharat Jodo Yatra, leading to Congress’ humiliating defeat in the state, reports news agency IANS.
Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra had passed through eight Lok Sabha constituencies in the state - Morena, Gwalior, Guna, Rajgarh, Dewas, Ujjain, Dhar, and Ratlam.
The Congress had high expectations that Rahul's yatra would help them to win at least two Lok Sabha seats.
The party has relatively performed well in this particular region (Morena, Gwalior, Guna, Rajgarh, Dewas, Ujjain, Dhar, and Ratlam) in the state assembly elections in November last year.
However, Congress lost all these seats, including Rajgarh where heavyweight leader and two-time Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh contested against the BJP veteran and a sitting MP Rodmal Nagar.
Another Congress veteran and ex-MP Kantilal Bhuria, who contested the Lok Sabha election from the Ratlam-Jhabua seat, lost to BJP's Anita Nagar Singh Chouhan.
During the Bharat Jodo Yatra in November 2022, Rahul Gandhi covered six districts Burhanpur, Khandwa, Khargon, Indore, Ujjain, and Agar-Malwa.
These six districts have as many as 21 assembly seats and the Congress could win only four of them in the 2023 assembly elections while the party won seven seats in the 2018 assembly elections. The BJP won 17 out of these 21 assembly seats in 2023 against 17 in 2018.
The Congress has been out of power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003 (except from December 2018 to March 2020). The party’s ground in the context of the Lok Sabha elections has also continued to decrease since 2014. By 2024, it lost all 29 Lok Sabha seats, including Chhindwara, which the party retained since 1980.
This humiliating defeat has once again triggered infighting in Madhya Pradesh Congress as some party leaders have raised questions on the party's current state leadership - Jitu Patwari, who has replaced former Chief Minister Kamal Nath as state unit head after the loss in the assembly election.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal after a marathon CWC meeting in Delhi on Saturday told the press that the party will send a team to Madhya Pradesh to introspect the humiliating loss in the Lok Sabha elections.
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