Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday readied to unveil his coalition government after a surprise election setback lost his Hindu-nationalist party an overall majority.
The 71 members of his government took the oath of office after Modi on Sunday, with 11 posts going to coalition allies who extracted them in exchange for their support — including five in the top 30 Cabinet posts.
There are no Muslim lawmakers among his third-term lineup, unlike his past two governments, both formed after his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a majority. Modi’s decade as prime minister has seen him cultivate an image as an aggressive champion of the nation’s majority Hindu faith, worrying minorities, including the country’s 200-million-plus Muslim community.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“Honoured to serve Bharat,” he posted on social media after being sworn into office, using the nation’s name in Sanskrit, a word dating back to ancient Hindu scriptures.
Modi had been forced into quick-fire talks with coalition partners in the National Democratic Alliance, whose 293 seats guaranteed him the parliamentary numbers to govern.
The portfolios assigned to each Cabinet member have not been released, but Modi called his council of ministers “a great blend of youth and experience.”
Indian media reported that Modi was to hold his first Cabinet meeting last night, although there was no official confirmation.
The BJP old guard dominate the list, including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari and Nirmala Sitharaman — defense, interior and transport and finance ministers in his last government respectively.
Powerful BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda is also included in the Cabinet.
Earlier yesterday, Modi took his first action, approving the latest tranche of a cash handout for 93 million farmers. Two-thirds of India’s 1.4 billion people draw their livelihood from agriculture, which accounts for nearly one-fifth of the nation’s GDP.
Two posts were handed to each of the largest coalition members, the Telugu Desam Party, from Andhra Pradesh, and the Janata Dal (United) party of Bihar.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old