Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi named a cabinet on Monday, one day after being sworn in for a third consecutive term.
While the recent election saw Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP party lose its absolute majority in parliament, Modi was able to keep top ministers in place.
External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in charge of the country’s foreign policy for the past five years, will retain his position. Amit Shah will stay as home minister, Nirmala Sitharaman will remain finance minister, and Rajnath Singh will remain as defense minister.
Modi is the second Indian prime minister to win a third term. His party, the BJP, won 240 seats in parliament, 32 short of a majority, and far below the numbers it won in the previous two elections. However, the party was able to secure control of parliament and form a government with two regional allies, the Telugu Desam Party and the Janata Dal (United).
Their National Democratic Alliance (NDA) controls a total of 293 seats.
Modi will need support from his allies to stay in power and may have to adapt his style of governance.
Modi is considered a champion for the Hindu majority, who make up about 80% of the 1.4 billion people living in the country. His supporters credit him with economic growth and bettering the country’s global standing.
Opponents say he has undermined India’s democracy and secular tradition in favor of Hindu nationalist policies that have sidelined Muslims. Critics have also noted decreasing freedom for the media and a mixed economic record that includes high unemployment and inequality, despite growth.
