Modi gives out his vision; explain dos and don'ts to new MPs

As Narendra Modi was chosen as the leader of the NDA parliamentary party, setting in motion the process to form the new government, he said his government has been able to dent the deception in which poor of this country were kept and they (poor) reposed faith in his government. Now, it is the turn to puncture the deception in which the minorities have been kept, he added.

As all the elected 353 MPs, including 303 from the BJP, were present inside the central hall of the parliament for electing Modi as their leader, he reminded them to be cautious in giving out statements to the media which would cause problems for the government. He also warned the newly-elected MPs against the gangs (of power brokers) who come to help them, and asked them to shun any feeling of arrogance or VIP culture.

If Modi had marked his entry into the parliament by bowing down at the steps of parliament in 2014, calling it temple of democracy, five years later, before he began speaking, Modi went to the counter displaying the copy of Constitution. He bowed before it and touched his forehead on it, symbolically affirming his allegiance to it.

Modi began in a statesmanlike manner to give out his vision for the country and explain what the mandate means for his government and India. He gave out a new acronym for governance. Calling it NARA (which in hindi means slogan), Modi said it stands for 'national ambition, regional aspiration'.

“I used to say, its not me who is contesting, it is the people of this country. This election was like a pilgrimage for me. People are like God. I had experienced this,” Modi told the attentive MPs, and many could be seen turning emotional.

“I was asked who was my challenger. I had said Modi was Modi's challenger. I had proved Modi had set bigger records than 2014,” he said.

The prime minister also spoke about the contribution of women, and the way their voting percentage has increased and equaled men's voting percentage. For the first time since Independence, the current Lok Sabha will have maximum representation of women. The 17th Lok Sabha has 76 women MPs.

Talking about the scale of this mandate, Modi said the 25 per cent increase in vote share for BJP between 2014 and 2019 is massive. “If one were to look at internationally, this raise is even bigger than the votes polled by Donald Trump, the US president. Look at the scale,” PM said.

He told the MPs that earlier, people had turned democratic process as contract system. “One person came (to power), and then the next one. But this time electorate have acted as participants. They put us here and kept (us) here. They have walked with us,” he said, while reminding MPs of huge responsibility they have towards people.

“This election was pro-incumbency. It was based on trust between people and government. This pro-incumbency wave is tied with the thread of trust...The trust was not only between people and govt, but also among people themselves...This is an election of positive vote to bring back government, to give responsibility to this government, to take country forward with this government,” Modi said.

In a message to the elected MPs, Modi said after the elections, it is natural to feel elated and boastful. They can often look down on people who did not vote. But this does not behove well for the elected representatives. Their role is to work for everyone and take everyone along, he pointed out.

As concerns had been raised about the mandate riding high on Hindu consolidation and minorities looking at other parties, Modi's message was to allay their fears as he promised to help them in their development. “In 2014, this government worked for the poor. I can say with pride that the poor have formed the 2019 government. We have worked five years to puncture the hoax that was being played with the poor. We have empowered them”.

He claimed that the minorities in the country were being cheated. “They were misused. We have dent that fear which has been forced on them. It would have been good if the well being of the minorities was improved, be it their education and health...No one should be left behind because of his community or faith. Our government is for everyone and follows sabka saath, sabka vikas,” Modi said.

Modi turned into a disciplinarian as he told the MPs about dos and don'ts. He spoke at length in dealing with the media. Modi warned the newly-elected MPs to refrain from saying controversial things as it creates problem for the government and overshadows the good work done. “Talking to the TV is an addiction. Media persons will slowly lure you to say things. But you should be careful.”

“The media will approach the MPs with questions like a bait. Moreover, when they say it is off the record, it could be a trap, There is nothing called off-the-record conversations. Be cautious. Check facts before commenting on anything,” he told the MPs.

The PM also cautioned the MPs against in believing news reports about cabinet formation. He ridiculed media reports floating various names that are likely to be included in the cabinet and added that this is being down with bad intentions. He urged them to recheck even if they get a call saying they have been inducted into the cabinet.

PM said the newly elected MPs should be careful of gangs floating around who offer help to the new MPs in navigating Delhi's culture. He also asked the newly elected MPs to shun the VIP culture.

Earlier, The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance formally elected Narendra Modi as the leader of the NDA parliamentary party. Modi's name was first proposed by BJP chief Amit Shah. This was seconded by the two former BJP chiefs Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari. Later, the NDA leaders, including Prakash Singh Badal, Nitish Kumar, Uddhav Thackarey, Ram Vilas Paswan, assured their support.

After the speech, Modi along with the NDA leaders, went to the President's House to stake the claim to form the government.

BJP chief Amit Shah, who also spoke during the function, hailed Modi's election.

“I say the people of this country have supported Narendra Modi experiment, and now I can say this experiment has been successful. People of the country have the confidence that whatever Modi says, he does it,” Shah said.

“This is first time that mandate did not reflect dynastic, casteist or appeasement politics. All earlier elections had such indications. Now, the mandate is for politics of performance,” Shah said.