President Murmu Dissolves 17th Lok Sabha Following Cabinet Recommendation

On Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu dissolved the 17th Lok Sabha after receiving a recommendation from the Union Cabinet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where he tendered his resignation along with the Union Council of Ministers. President Murmu accepted their resignations and requested that they continue in office until the new government is formed.

A statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan confirmed, “The President accepted the advice of the Cabinet on June 5, 2024, and signed the Order dissolving the 17th Lok Sabha in the exercise of the powers conferred upon her by Sub-Clause (2) of Article 85 of the Constitution.”

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a Cabinet meeting, where the recommendation for the dissolution was made. The term of the 17th Lok Sabha was set to end on June 16. Following the Cabinet meeting, PM Modi tendered his resignation along with his Council of Ministers to President Murmu. The President accepted the resignation and requested that the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers continue in their roles until the new government assumes office.

Sources indicate that PM Modi is expected to take the oath for the third time on June 8.

The Election Commission of India announced the results on Tuesday, with the BJP securing 240 seats and the Congress 99 seats. In comparison, the BJP had won 303 seats in the 2019 general elections and 282 seats in the 2014 general elections. This year, the BJP fell 32 seats short of the majority mark of 272, necessitating reliance on its allies to form a government.

Meanwhile, the Congress saw significant growth, increasing its seat count from 52 in 2019 to 99 this year. The Congress-led opposition coalition, the INDIA bloc, surpassed expectations by crossing the 230-seat mark, defying all predictions.