What was the role of the President of India in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, when no party or coalition secured a clear majority?

The President invited the leader of the largest party or coalition to form the government.

The correct answer is Option 2-  The President invited the leader of the largest party or coalition to form the government.

President’s role in choosing the Prime Minister After 1977, party politics in India became more competitive and there have been many instances when no party had clear majority in the Lok Sabha. What does the President do in such situations? No political party or coalition secured majority in the elections held in March 1998. The BJP and its allies secured 251 seats, 21 short of a majority. President Narayanan adopted an elaborate procedure. He asked the leader of the alliance, Atal Behari Vajpayee, “to furnish documents in support of his claim from concerned political parties.” Not stopping at this the President also advised Vajpayee to secure a vote of confidence within ten days of being sworn in.