Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired the final meeting of the outgoing Union Cabinet, which recommended the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha.
This sets the stage for forming the next government after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a narrow majority in the recent elections.
Following the Cabinet meeting at his residence around 11:30 am, Modi drove to Rashtrapati Bhavan to submit his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu.
A communique from Rashtrapati Bhavan confirmed, "The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, met the President today and tendered his resignation along with the Council of Ministers. The President has accepted the resignation and requested Shri Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers to continue till the new Government assumes office."
The BJP won 240 seats, falling short of the halfway mark for the first time since 2014. However, the NDA, with its allies, comfortably crossed the majority threshold of 272 in the 543-member Lok Sabha.
The NDA's total stands at 293 seats, ensuring a stable government formation.
Key allies, including Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) head N. Chandrababu Naidu, have already arrived in New Delhi to participate in the NDA meeting scheduled for later in the day.
These allies are crucial for the BJP's numbers, with the TDP securing 16 seats (plus two from partner Jana Sena, totaling 18), JD(U) winning 12 seats, and Shiv Sena capturing 7 seats.
These 37 seats, added to the BJP’s 240, push the NDA comfortably past the majority mark.
The term of the current 17th Lok Sabha concludes on June 16. Modi's resignation marks a procedural step as the NDA prepares to form the next government.
Simultaneously, the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, which won 233 seats despite being underestimated in exit polls, will hold its meeting. The close numbers indicate a robust opposition in the upcoming Lok Sabha.
The focus now shifts to the upcoming formation of the new Cabinet and the strategies both alliances will employ moving forward.
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