Less than 24 hours after Narendra Modi took his oath for the third consecutive term as Prime Minister, he has already faced criticism from a senior party member for forming a government with alliance partners TDP and JD(U).
Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy attacked PM Modi on Monday morning in response to a tweet comparing the total number of MPs who took oath as ministers alongside PM Modi in 2014, 2019, and 2024.
BJP leader wrote, "Modi’s biggest mistake of his life (Vinash Kaale Vipreet Buddhi) is to enter a coalition with two vipers of Indian politics. These two will set the pace for secularism perched on a Hindutva camel. BJP will be in disarray within the next months. A new Saffron BJP will emerge."
Swamy's scathing attack on the Prime Minister was in response to an analytical post by journalist Arvind Gunasekar. Gunasekar's analysis highlighted a significant increase in the number of ministers sworn in alongside PM Modi over the years. In 2014, the swearing-in ceremony included PM Modi, 23 Cabinet Ministers, 10 Ministers of State (Independent Charge), and 12 Ministers of State. In 2019, this number slightly increased to include 24 Cabinet Ministers, 9 Ministers of State (Independent Charge), and 24 Ministers of State. However, this year saw a notable surge, with the PM taking the oath alongside 30 Cabinet Ministers, 5 Ministers of State (Independent Charge), and 36 Ministers of State. This expansion in the number of ministers was the focus of Gunasekar's post and subsequently drew criticism from Swamy.
After the swearing-in ceremony on June 9, all attention has turned to the distribution of the portfolios.
