Modi stakes claim to form govt, says need consensus to run country

Describing the NDA as an “organic alliance” for which “the seed was sown” by its leaders three decades ago and “nurtured by people with trust”, he said it will strive to ensure unanimity in all decisions of the next government.

Addressing the NDA meeting before leaders headed to Rashtrapati Bhavan, Modi said, “I assure the people of the country that the majority they gave us to run the government, it will be our effort that we will strive towards consensus and leave no stone unturned towards taking the country forward.”

Later, emerging from Rashtrapati Bhavan, he told reporters: “There was an NDA meeting this morning. NDA members have chosen me once again. They have supported me again. The President called me today. I have told her that the evening of June 9 will be good (for the swearing-in). The President’s office will decide. By that time, I will send the list of ministers to her.”

“NDA I, NDA II and NDA III are a continuity. We will take this continuity forward with even more energy and a better vision. I have experienced this work for 10 years. I was new in 2014. So, it will be easy for us to take the work forward immediately this time,” he said.

“In these 10 years, the global image of Bharat – it has come up as Vishwabandhu (a friend of the world) – has improved. These five years will be very useful for India globally. The world is going through many problems. We have been known as the fastest growing economy. The world is praising us. With a stable government and a familiar leadership, the world will look towards India all the more. We will move forward with resolve,” he said.

Following the visit of the NDA delegation, Rashtrapati Bhavan, in a communique, said: “The President, having satisfied herself on the basis of the various letters of support received, that the BJP-led NDA alliance, which is also the largest pre-election alliance, is in a position to command majority support of the newly constituted 18th Lok Sabha and to form a stable government, appointed Shri Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India exercising powers vested in her under Article 75(1) of the Constitution of India.”

At the NDA meeting held in the historic Central Hall of the old Parliament building, Modi, who led a bitter election campaign against opponents, presented himself as a coalition leader, underlining the need to carry everyone along for a Viksit Bharat.

He exuded confidence to lead the coalition, noting “NDA has completed around three decades, it is no ordinary thing… I can say that this is the most successful alliance.”

As soon as he entered the Central Hall, Modi, whose party’s campaign slogan of 400-plus seats for the NDA was decried by the Opposition as an attempt to change the Constitution, bowed before a copy of the Constitution placed there and lifted it to his forehead reverentially.

Key allies TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar endorsed Modi’s leadership.

“Today, India has the right leader at the right time, that is Narendra Modi. This is a very good opportunity for India. If you miss now, you will miss forever. That is why we have a wonderful opportunity today,” said Naidu who called Modi a “great asset to the nation”.

Nitish Kumar said, “I am confident that whatever is left will now be completed. We will be with him at every step.”

Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the ties between BJP and his party are an ideological match.

Using a line from a popular advertisement, he said, “What I will say about the Shiv Sena is that the party and the BJP have a common ideology and the alliance, which was formed by Bal Thackeray, is a Fevicol bond and will not break (Yeh Fevicol ka jod hai, tootega nahin).”

The MPs unanimously endorsed a resolution moved by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to elect Modi as leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party, NDA Parliamentary Party and Lok Sabha.

While Home Minister Amit Shah and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari seconded the resolution, JD(S) leader H D Kumarswamy, Shinde, NCP chief Ajit Pawar, HAM(S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, JanaSena Party leader Pawan Kalyan, Apna Dal (S) leader Anupriya Patel supported the proposal. BJP president J P Nadda welcomed all the leaders.

What everyone noticed was Modi’s constant mention of the NDA, not the BJP. “If I keep NDA on one side and the aspirations and resolve of the people of India, then I would say NDA: New India, Developed India, Aspirational India,” he said.

The NDA, he said, is “not just the coming together of some parties to gain power” but a group committed to the country.

“NDA is a group committed to the nation first… Today I can say that NDA is an organic alliance in the political system of India and great leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Parkash Singh Badal, Balasaheb Thackeray… had sown the seed… the people of India have nurtured it with trust and turned that seed into a fruitful one. We all have the legacy of such great leaders and we are proud of it,” he said.

Modi said the NDA government would “in the next 10 years focus on good governance, development and minimum interference in the lives of common citizens”.

Pointing out that the NDA was in power in 22 states of the country, he said it was synonymous with good governance. “The NDA government has given good governance to the country and in a way, just saying NDA becomes synonymous with good governance. Welfare of the poor and good governance have been the paramount focus of all of us,” he said.

Stressing on the mandate the alliance secured – which he described as ‘Maha Vijay’ – Modi said the country has trust only in the NDA to face challenges and take India forward to the third largest economy.

While Naidu had a message to balance regional aspirations and national interests, Modi asserted that relations between the regional and national aspirations should be so close that not even wind can pass through.

“Balancing regional aspirations and national interests must run parallelly while ensuring holistic development for all strata of society,” Naidu said.

In his brief speech endorsing Modi’s leadership, Nitish Kumar expressed the hope that the interests of Bihar will also be taken care of.

“All the pending works of Bihar will be done. It is a very good thing that all of us have come together and we will all work together with you. We will all work under your leadership,” he said.

Naidu said Modi, under whose leadership India has become the fifth largest economy in the world, will take the country much further. “Since PM Modi is now planning Viksit Bharat and Vision-2047, the country will reach either No. 1 or at least No. 2 position globally and Indians under PM Modi’s leadership will move to the topmost position globally,” he said. After the NDA Parliamentary Party unanimously elected him as its leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Droupadi Murmu Friday and staked claim to form the government.

Heading a coalition in which the BJP, for the first time under his leadership, lacks majority, Modi, who will be sworn in as Prime Minister for a third consecutive term at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7.15 pm Sunday, said, “We need a majority to form the government, but there should be consensus to run the country.”

Describing the NDA as an “organic alliance” for which “the seed was sown” by its leaders three decades ago and “nurtured by people with trust”, he said it will strive to ensure unanimity in all decisions of the next government.

Addressing the NDA meeting before leaders headed to Rashtrapati Bhavan, Modi said, “I assure the people of the country that the majority they gave us to run the government, it will be our effort that we will strive towards consensus and leave no stone unturned towards taking the country forward.”

Later, emerging from Rashtrapati Bhavan, he told reporters: “There was an NDA meeting this morning. NDA members have chosen me once again. They have supported me again. The President called me today. I have told her that the evening of June 9 will be good (for the swearing-in). The President’s office will decide. By that time, I will send the list of ministers to her.”

“NDA I, NDA II and NDA III are a continuity. We will take this continuity forward with even more energy and a better vision. I have experienced this work for 10 years. I was new in 2014. So, it will be easy for us to take the work forward immediately this time,” he said.

“In these 10 years, the global image of Bharat – it has come up as Vishwabandhu (a friend of the world) – has improved. These five years will be very useful for India globally. The world is going through many problems. We have been known as the fastest growing economy. The world is praising us. With a stable government and a familiar leadership, the world will look towards India all the more. We will move forward with resolve,” he said.

Following the visit of the NDA delegation, Rashtrapati Bhavan, in a communique, said: “The President, having satisfied herself on the basis of the various letters of support received, that the BJP-led NDA alliance, which is also the largest pre-election alliance, is in a position to command majority support of the newly constituted 18th Lok Sabha and to form a stable government, appointed Shri Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India exercising powers vested in her under Article 75(1) of the Constitution of India.”

At the NDA meeting held in the historic Central Hall of the old Parliament building, Modi, who led a bitter election campaign against opponents, presented himself as a coalition leader, underlining the need to carry everyone along for a Viksit Bharat.

He exuded confidence to lead the coalition, noting “NDA has completed around three decades, it is no ordinary thing… I can say that this is the most successful alliance.”

As soon as he entered the Central Hall, Modi, whose party’s campaign slogan of 400-plus seats for the NDA was decried by the Opposition as an attempt to change the Constitution, bowed before a copy of the Constitution placed there and lifted it to his forehead reverentially.

Key allies TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar endorsed Modi’s leadership.

“Today, India has the right leader at the right time, that is Narendra Modi. This is a very good opportunity for India. If you miss now, you will miss forever. That is why we have a wonderful opportunity today,” said Naidu who called Modi a “great asset to the nation”.

Nitish Kumar said, “I am confident that whatever is left will now be completed. We will be with him at every step.”

Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the ties between BJP and his party are an ideological match.

Using a line from a popular advertisement, he said, “What I will say about the Shiv Sena is that the party and the BJP have a common ideology and the alliance, which was formed by Bal Thackeray, is a Fevicol bond and will not break (Yeh Fevicol ka jod hai, tootega nahin).”

The MPs unanimously endorsed a resolution moved by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to elect Modi as leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party, NDA Parliamentary Party and Lok Sabha.

While Home Minister Amit Shah and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari seconded the resolution, JD(S) leader H D Kumarswamy, Shinde, NCP chief Ajit Pawar, HAM(S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, JanaSena Party leader Pawan Kalyan, Apna Dal (S) leader Anupriya Patel supported the proposal. BJP president J P Nadda welcomed all the leaders.

What everyone noticed was Modi’s constant mention of the NDA, not the BJP. “If I keep NDA on one side and the aspirations and resolve of the people of India, then I would say NDA: New India, Developed India, Aspirational India,” he said.

The NDA, he said, is “not just the coming together of some parties to gain power” but a group committed to the country.

“NDA is a group committed to the nation first… Today I can say that NDA is an organic alliance in the political system of India and great leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Parkash Singh Badal, Balasaheb Thackeray… had sown the seed… the people of India have nurtured it with trust and turned that seed into a fruitful one. We all have the legacy of such great leaders and we are proud of it,” he said.

Modi said the NDA government would “in the next 10 years focus on good governance, development and minimum interference in the lives of common citizens”.

Pointing out that the NDA was in power in 22 states of the country, he said it was synonymous with good governance. “The NDA government has given good governance to the country and in a way, just saying NDA becomes synonymous with good governance. Welfare of the poor and good governance have been the paramount focus of all of us,” he said.

Stressing on the mandate the alliance secured – which he described as ‘Maha Vijay’ – Modi said the country has trust only in the NDA to face challenges and take India forward to the third largest economy.

While Naidu had a message to balance regional aspirations and national interests, Modi asserted that relations between the regional and national aspirations should be so close that not even wind can pass through.

“Balancing regional aspirations and national interests must run parallelly while ensuring holistic development for all strata of society,” Naidu said.

In his brief speech endorsing Modi’s leadership, Nitish Kumar expressed the hope that the interests of Bihar will also be taken care of.

“All the pending works of Bihar will be done. It is a very good thing that all of us have come together and we will all work together with you. We will all work under your leadership,” he said.

Naidu said Modi, under whose leadership India has become the fifth largest economy in the world, will take the country much further. “Since PM Modi is now planning Viksit Bharat and Vision-2047, the country will reach either No. 1 or at least No. 2 position globally and Indians under PM Modi’s leadership will move to the topmost position globally,” he said.