Scripting a history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took over as Prime Minister for a third consecutive term becoming the first non-Congress leader and second after first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to don the mantle. With this Modi also becomes the only leader in the country to hold a constitutional post back to back for more than two decades which includes — three term as PM and prior serving 12 years as Chief Minister of Gujarat.

President Draupadi Murmu administered Modi the oath of office and with this he also become the only PM to have been administered the oath by three presidents, including Pranab Mukherjee and Ramnath Kovind. Modi also under his regime was part of the consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhaya early this year and dedicated to the nation a new Parliament last year in September.   

If Modi completes his current five year term as PM leading the NDA regime he will have served a total of 27 years in office. He has been since leading his party to victory and power in 2002, 2007 and 2012 in Gujarat as CM and then in 2014 and 2019 at the Centre and again in 2024. It is though different this time as the BJP has lost majority on its own.

Modi’s third term which has not come with a massive mandate will have to sail across the ‘coalition dharma’ as the Congress led INDIA Bloc will keep a prey on the two major allies-TDP and JD(U) to seek an opportunity to dislodge Modi. The BJP secured however its third-best tally of 240 seats and the Opposition called it a "moral defeat". BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has won 293 seats, which Modi has noted is the biggest success for any pre-poll alliance when a single party did not get a majority.

Always being noticed for his apparels, Modi was dressed in white kurta and churidar with a blue chequered jacket as he took oath in the presence of top world leaders, the who’s who of country from politics, industry and celebrity world. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud was also present with his wife. Former presidents Ram Nath Kovind and Pratibha Patil also attended the event.  Several religious leaders also attended the ceremony.

Along with Modi, senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Amit Shah, Shivraj Singh Chauhan also took oath as the Cabinet Ministers, while party president JP Nadda returned to the cabinet after five years, indicating the Prime Minister's focus on continuity and experience in his third term.

Top leaders from India's neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region, including Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe graced the swearing-in ceremony held in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay and Vice-President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif also attended the glittering ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

While Hasina and Afif reached Delhi on Saturday, Muizzu, Prachanda, Wickremesinghe, Jugnauth and Tobgay arrived on Sunday. Leaders of the BIMSTEC countries attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony in 2019 when he became the prime minister for the second consecutive term. Besides India, the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.

Bollywood actors Shahrukh Khan, Anil Kapoor and Rajinikanth, and industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani were among those who attended the swearing-in ceremony held in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan.  Actors Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, Anupam Kher and Vikrant Massey were also among those present.

Ambani was present along with his sons -- Anant and Akash -- and son-in-law Anand Piramal while Adani was accompanied by his wife Priti and brother Rajesh Adani.  Also part of the event were actors Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Raveena Tandon, Vikrant Massey, director Rajkumar Hirani and producer Mahaveer Jain. Actor turned politician Rajinikanth, actor and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan too were present.

Ever since leading the BJP for the first time in the Gujarat assembly polls in 2002, held in the shadow of the riots in the state following the Godhra train burning incident, Modi has never looked back. While his detractors had written him off politically in 2002, Modi has gone become a winning mix of Hindutva and development for his party.

However post the high voltage campaign of 2024 Lok Sabha and then results last week, Modi is now facing the strongest opposition within the party as well. His poll pitch particularly revolving around religious lines is being questioned as a failed strategy to set the political agenda after the opposition dented the BJP in several states including Uttar Pradesh where the SP-Congress INDIA bloc trumped the BJP-led combine.