Indian PM Modi set to take oath for a third time at the weekend as allies pledge support

FILE PHOTO: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures, at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in New Delhi, India, June 4, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo

HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Democratic Alliance (NDA) formally named him on Wednesday to lead a new coalition government for a third straight term, a day after it regained power with a surprisingly slim majority.

Modi, a populist who has dominated Indian politics since 2014, will for the first time head a government dependent on the support of regional allies whose loyalties have wavered over time, which could complicate the new cabinet's reform agenda.