Narendra Modi was sworn in on May 26 as the next Prime Minister of India. The Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party won a decisive mandate in the recent elections winning 282 of the 543 seats, becoming the first party in 30 years to get past the half-way mark in the Lok Sabha on its own.
The 16th Lok Sabha elections saw the largest voter turnout (about 66.4%) in Indian history and a large-scale participation of first-time voters.
The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance swept the polls while the incumbent United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by the Indian National Congress (INC) received a crushing defeat.
Taking a historic step, the PM designate has invited the heads of all the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) and the Prime Minister of Mauritius for the swearing-in ceremony. Narendra Modi will also be holding talks with the SAARC heads of the states the following day.