Political veterans and newcomers, business leaders, and showbiz stars-more than 8,000 people gathered at the Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt on Sunday to witness Narendra Modi being sworn in as prime minister for a third consecutive term.

This event marked the conclusion of a 44-day election that saw Modi's BJP secure 240 seats.

The ceremony featured bugles, ceremonial guards, and flowers, creating a grand spectacle as President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office. However, the political implications overshadowed the pomp.

Speculation ran high about the list of potential ministers, focusing on which allies would be included and the number of partner NDA parties-particularly the TDP and the JD-U, which together won 28 seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath on Sunday, along with 72 ministers of the new coalition government. Thirty of them are Cabinet Ministers, five independent charge, and 36 Ministers of State. The portfolios will be announced later.

Among the allies, Janata Dal leader H D Kumaraswamy, who took oath after Mr Khattar, was the first leader from any of the BJP's allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to take oath.

Soon after, Janata Dal (United) leader Lalan Singh, a close aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, also took oath.

HAM(S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, and TDP's K Ram Mohan Naidu took the oath of office as ministers.

Sarbananda Sonowal was the first leader from the northeast to take oath today, Kiren Rijiju the second.

Senior leaders Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, S Jaishankar, Hardeep Singh Puri were sworn in alongside fresh faces like former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Virendra Kumar, a prominent Scheduled Castes face of the BJP and eight-time MP, was inducted into the Narendra Modi government. He won the election from Madhya Pradesh's Tikamgarh reserved seat.

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has solidified his status as the "real" political heir of his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, after he was inducted into the Modi government.