New Delhi: Narendra Modi took his oath of office as India's 15th prime minister on Monday.
Modi, who led BJP to an astounding victory in the Lok Sabha polls, was sworn in as the prime minister at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Ahead of his oath-taking, Modi tweeted his thanks to supporters.
A big thank you to all friends who will be viewing the ceremony on TV and through social media. Your constant support & blessings mean a lot— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 26, 2014
I am glad & honoured that people from all walks of life will join the swearing in ceremony. I welcome them.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 26, 2014
President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office and secrecy to Modi and his Council of Ministers in the presence of a host of leaders, including outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, and leaders of various other parties and chief ministers of a number of states.
Modi was joined by 44 ministers, including key leaders Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj. Twenty-three of the ministers were given cabinet ranks.
Modi had indicated he would not like to have a large cabinet.
Tribute to Gandhi
Earlier on Monday, Modi visited Rajghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi.
Modi spent around 10 minutes at Rajghat, the memorial to Gandhi.
A number of Delhi BJP leaders including Harsh Vardhan, Vijay Goel and Vijender Gupta were present at Rajghat.
Country leaders arrive
Leaders of neighbouring countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, arrived in the Indian capital to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Among the dignitaries who arrived were Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam.
Before leaving Lahore for New Delhi, Sharif told reporters: "I'm carrying the message of peace and will discuss all matters with the Indian leadership. Dialogue process is the only way to resolve bilateral issues. Forging cordial relations with all neighbours, including India, is foremost priority of Pakistan."
