Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi on Friday met President Droupadi Murmu and staked claim to form the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.
The 73-year-old Modi will take the oath of office as Prime Minister on June 9, matching Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s record of holding the position for three consecutive terms in a row.
After meeting the President, he said, “This is the first election after Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav…For the third time, the NDA government has been given a chance by the people to serve to country…I assure the people of the country that in the last two terms, the speed with which the country has moved forward, change is visible in every sector and for 25 crore people to move out of poverty is a proud moment for every Indiaṇ.”
With the backing of Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu, Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy, and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar, Modi was formally chosen as the leader of the NDA earlier today.
“Our 10 years just trailer, we will work much harder, faster for development of our country; people know we will deliver,” Modi said at the meeting of the NDA Parliamentary Party. “There were efforts to not acknowledge this very victory, to cast a ‘shadow of defeat’ on this victory. But all such efforts remained fruitless… Such things ‘die very young’, and it happened.”
Endorsing Modi as the chosen leader of the coalition, Naidu said, “Today, India is having 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 are having a wonderful opportunity today.”
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar indicated that India will be developed under Modi’s leadership. “We are confident that Modi will develop India and we will wholeheartedly support him every passing day. 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.
“I have noticed that a few people have won (Lok Sabha elections) here and there by saying useless things. They haven’t done any work, and never served the country. Next time when you win, they all will be defeated,” the JD(U) chief added in his attack on the Opposition.
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