New Delhi:
Narendra Modi – to be sworn in on Sunday as Prime Minister after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance ensured his party crossed the 272-seat majority mark in the general election – made a pitch for governance by consensus and coalition politics at a meeting of newly-elected NDA MPs.
Mr Modi also hailed the NDA – whose members’ 53 seats pushed the alliance to 293 – as the “most successful alliance” in the country. The BJP had targeted 370 seats for itself and 400+ with allies.
As it turned out, the BJP was pegged back in key states – Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bengal – by the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc, while its allies nearly doubled their 30-seat target.
Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP and JDU of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have emerged as kingmakers after their parties won 28 seats; take those away and the NDA does not have the numbers.
Speaking after NDA leaders, including Mr Naidu and Nitish Kumar, proposed his nomination, Mr Modi declared, “Our alliance reflects the spirit of India and we are dedicated to upholding constitutional values. NDA is the most successful… I take pride in saying it is entering a new term.”
“When I was speaking in this House in 2019 you chose me as the leader. Then I emphasised one thing… trust. Today, when you are giving me this role again, it means the bridge of trust between us is strong. This relationship is built on a strong foundation… and that is its biggest asset.”
“We are committed to the principle of sarva dharma sambhava (all religions are equal),” he said while addressing NDA MPs, allies, chief ministers and other senior leaders present at the meeting on Friday. “This is most successful alliance in India’s history; our aim will be to reach unanimity in all our decisions,” he said.
He added: “I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the leaders of the constituent parties present in this assembly hall, all the newly elected MPs and our Rajya Sabha MPs. It is a matter of happiness for me that I have had the opportunity to welcome such a large group here today. All those leaders who have come victorious deserve congratulations. The lakhs of workers who have worked day and night, today from this central hall, I bow down and salute them…”
