Modi 3.0: The departing prime minister, Narendra Modi, will be accompanied by TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar, whose 28 Lok Sabha seats are critical for the BJP-led NDA.
On Saturday, when Narendra Modi takes the oath of office as prime minister for a record third straight term, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, which secured 293 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election to surpass the 272 majority threshold, will form the new government, sources informed NDTV on Wednesday.
Mr. Modi was praised for his “leadership” and the “strides our nation has made under him” after being overwhelmingly selected to lead the alliance this afternoon. They also valued his diligence and contributions to the development of the country. The NDA partners stated that they are still partners in achieving Mr. Modi’s vision for “Viksit Bharat.” They praised him for elevating India’s standing internationally.
Following a meeting of senior BJP and NDA officials at Mr. Modi’s house earlier today to examine the election results and talk about government formation, a team was scheduled to see President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan to lay claim to power.
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Leaders of the Telugu Desam Party Chandrababu Naidu and Janata Dal Nitish Kumar were to be part of the trip. The BJP’s alliance needs their combined 28 seats to remain afloat.
In addition to winning a concurrent Assembly election to reclaim the Chief Ministership, Mr. Naidu’s TDP secured 16 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s JDU secured 12 seats.
There have been rumors that the opposition INDIA alliance, which finished with 232 seats (40 short of a majority) and is considering a move for government formation, may approach Mr. Naidu and Nitish Kumar.
In order to counter that, the BJP has obtained formal letters of support from the leaders of the TDP and JDU.
The leaders of the TDP and JDU are important to Mr. Modi and the BJP; he specifically mentioned them in his victory address on Tuesday night at the party headquarters in Delhi.
Sources had stated that the Congress may pursue Mr. Naidu and Nitish Kumar, two seasoned politicians skilled in coalition politics, as early as Tuesday night, when it became certain the BJP would not be able to form the government on its own.
Although neither has shown their cards yet, rumors have it that they are considering a number of “demands,” such as special status for their states and the ability to choose which ministerial vacancies to accept.
In a national election on Tuesday, the INDIA alliance defied exit pollsters to present the BJP with a serious challenge—the first since the ‘Modi wave’ propelled it to power in 2014.
With 232 MPs, the opposition alliance fell 40 seats shy of a 272-majority threshold.
Leaders in India, such as Mallikarjun Kharge, the head of the Congress, have been reticent to approach Mr. Naidu or Mr. Nitish Kumar, but there is a purpose, according to insiders.
In order to obtain 99 members, the Congress delivered its best showing since 2009. Only 52 seats were gained by the party in 2019 (Rahul Gandhi resigned as leader), compared to just 44 in 2014.
Hours before, Mr. Modi met with Ms. Murmu to discuss his resignation in advance of this government’s dissolution on June 16. It was requested that Mr. Modi stay in office until a new administration is named.
As he presided over the last cabinet meeting of his second term this morning, he shrugged down any concerns expressed about his party’s performance, saying that “winning and losing are part of politics…”
We have performed admirably during the past ten years. We’ll keep acting in this manner.”
Speaking to a rapturous assembly at the party headquarters in Delhi at the end of Tuesday, Mr. Modi declared that Indians had once again “placed their faith” in the NDA. “I bow to the people for this affection and assure them we will continue the good work done in the last decade to keep fulfilling aspirations..”