NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday formally appointed Narendra Modi to the office of Prime Minister of India while inviting him to form the next government.
He also asked Modi to furnish the list of new Council of Ministers and a suitable date for the swearing-in ceremony. It is likely that Modi will be sworn in on May 30.
Earlier in the day, a delegation of the National Democratic Alliance led by BJP president Amit Shah and comprising Parkash Singh Badal, Rajnath Singh, Nitish Kumar, Ram Vilas Paswan, Sushma Swaraj, Uddhav Thakeray, Nitin Gadkari, K Palaniswami, Conrad Sangma and Neiphiu Rio, called on the president at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the communique said.
A letter stating that Narendra Modi has been elected leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party was handed over to the president, it said.
“Letters of support from NDA constituent parties were also handed over to the president,” sources said.
Conrad and newly elected NPP MP from Tura Agatha Sangma attended the NDA meeting at the Central Hall of Parliament.
The President on Saturday dissolved the 16th Lok Sabha on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement.
The Presidential order came a day after Modi met him and informed of the Cabinet recommendation, while also tendering the formal resignation of his Council of Ministers, it said.
“In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by sub-clause (b) of clause (2) of article 85 of the Constitution, I hereby dissolve the Lok Sabha,” said the order.
On Friday, the Union Cabinet passed a resolution to dissolve the 16th Lok Sabha which was constituted on May 18, 2014.
