Notes

The Indian general election of 2014 was held to constitute the 16th Lok Sabha, electing members of parliament for all 543parliamentary constituencies of India. Running in nine phases from 7 April to 12 May 2014, this was the longest election in the country's history. According to the Election Commission of India, 814.5 million people were eligible to vote, with an increase of 100 million voters since the last general election in 2009, making this the largest-ever election in the world.[6] Around 23.1 million or 2.7% of the total eligible voters were aged 18–19 years. A total of 8,251 candidates contested for the 543 Lok Sabha seats. The average election turnout over all nine phases was around 66.38%, the highest ever in the history of Indian general elections.
The results were declared on 16 May, fifteen days before the 15th Lok Sabha completes its constitutional mandate on 31 May 2014. The counting exercise was held at 989 counting centers. The National Democratic Alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, won a sweeping victory, taking 336 seats. The BJP itself won 31.0% of all votes and 282 (51.9%) of all seats. It is the first time since the 1984 Indian general elections that a party has won enough seats to govern without the support of other parties. The United, led by the Indian National Congress, won 58 seats 44 (8.1%) of which were won by the Congress, that won 19.3% of all votes. It was the Congress party's worst defeat in a general election. BJP and its allies won the right to form the largest majority government since the 1984 general election.
PRESIDENT PRANAB MUKHERJEE ADMINISTERED THE OATH OF OFFICE AND SECRECY TO THE 63-YEAR-OLD MODI AS INDIA’S 15TH PRIME MINISTER AND HIS COUNCIL OF MINISTERS IN THE PRESENCE OF A HOST OF LEADERS. THE CEREMONY WAS HELD AT THE LAWNS OF THE HUGE MANSION, DESIGNED AND EXECUTED BY EDUARD LUTYENS DURING THE ZENITH OF BRITISH POWER IN INDIA IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
MODI, WHO WAS DRESSED IN A WHITE FULL SLEEVE KURTA, A BEIGE NEHRU JACKET AND A WHITE PAJAMA, WAS SWORN-IN AS THE PRIME MINISTER ALONG WITH 44 OTHER HANDPICKED MINISTERS TO HELP HIM IN ADMINISTERING THE COUNTRY. OUTGOING PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH, CONGRESS PRESIDENT SONIA GANDHI, FORMER PRESIDENTS ABDUL KALAM AND PRATIBHA PATIL AND FORMER PRIME MINISTER DEVE GOWDA WERE AMONG THE NEARLY 5000 PEOPLE WHO THRONGED THE OPEN AIR VENUE.
THE STATEMENT OF MODI, THE NEW PM SIMPLY SAID, ‘AS WE DEVOTE OURSELVES TO TAKE INDIA’S DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY TO NEWER HEIGHTS, WE SEEK YOUR SUPPORT, BLESSINGS AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION. TOGETHER WE WILL SCRIPT A GLORIOUS FUTURE FOR INDIA.”
MODI WHO ROSE FROM THE RANKS OFF THE HINDU RIGHT WING RSS, ADDED, ‘’LET US TOGETHER DREAM OF A STRONG, DEVELOPED AND INCLUSIVE INDIA THAT ACTIVELY ENGAGES WITH THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY TO STRENGTHEN THE CAUSE OF WORLD PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT.”
SOME OF THE PROMINENT MEMBERS WHO TOOK OATH INCLUDED: RAJNATH SINGH WHO WILL HEAD THE HOME MINISTRY, SUSHMA SWARAJ, WHO GOT THE EXTERNAL AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO, ARUN JAITLEY AS EXPECTED GOT THE FINANCE MINISTRY AS WELL AS DEFENCE, FORMER BJP PRESIDENT M VENKAIAH NAIDU WILL BE PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS MINISTER IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT. ANOTHER FORMER PARTY PRESIDENT NITIN GADKARI LANDED THE TRANSPORT MINISTRY. SADANANDA GOWDA GOT CHARGE OF THE RAILWAYS.
FORMER MADHYA PRADESH CHIEF MINISTER UMA BHARTI WILL BE UNION MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES. NAJMA HEPTULLA WILL HAVE CHARGE OF MINORITY AFFAIRS.
FORMER MAHARASHTRA DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER GOPINATH MUNDE WAS HANDED THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY. FORMER UP BJP CHIEF KALRAJ MISHRA HAS ALSO BEEN MADE A CABINET MINISTER. MANEKA GANDHI WILL BE UNION MINISTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT. ANANTH KUMAR WILL BE HOLDING THE CHEMICALS AND FERTILISER MINISTRY.
RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD WOULD HAVE THE DUAL CHARGE OF LAW MINISTER AND TELECOM. JUAL ORAM WILL BE CABINET MINISTER FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS. RADHA MOHAN SINGH, A BIHAR BJP LEADER, WILL HOLD THE KEY PORTFOLIO OF AGRICULTURE. PRAKASH JAVADEKAR, SENIOR BJP SPOKESPERSON, WILL BE INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING MINISTER AND WILL ALSO HEAD ENVIRONMENT.
SMRITI IRANI, 38, WHO TOOK ON CONGRESS VICE-PRESIDENT RAHUL GANDHI IN A SPIRITED CONTEST IN AMETHI IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, WOULD BE THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT MINISTER. DELHI BJP CHIEF HARSH VARDHAN WILL BE THE NEW HEALTH MINISTER.
BJP SPOKESPERSON NIRMALA SITHARAMAN WILL BE THE NEW COMMERCE MINISTER WITH INDEPENDENT CHARGE. BJP RAJYA SABHA MEMBER PIYUSH GOEL WILL BE POWER AND COAL MINISTER WITH INDEPENDENT CHARGE. PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY DHARMENDRA PRADHAN WILL HAVE INDEPENDENT CHARGE OF THE HIGH-PROFILE OIL MINISTRY.
AMONG THE BJP’S ALLIES IN THE NDA WHO WERE SWORN-IN, INCLUDED BIHAR LEADER RAM VILAS PASWAN –IN CHARGE OF FOOD AND CIVIL SUPPLIES AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS; TDP’S ASHOK GAJAPATHI RAJU WILL BE CIVIL AVIATION MINISTER, SHIV SENA LEADER ANANT GEETE HAS ALSO BEEN SWORN IN. AKALI LEADER HARSIMRAT KAUR WILL BE FOOD PROCESSING MINISTER.