On a day when the opposition parties will hold their meeting in Bengaluru to chalk out a joint strategy for the 2024 elections, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance will meet in Delhi to chalk out its mission statement for the Lok Sabha polls.
BJP chief J.P. Nadda said 38 parties have confirmed their participation and more are expected to join. The meeting comes at a time when the NDA has completed 25 years of its existence. The BJP has kept the participation list under wraps saying all will be revealed during the meeting.
"The NDA graph and scope has increased as we followed the development agenda. National security, international engagement, and good governance are the key factors," Nadda said addressing a press conference at the party headquarters. He said people felt proud that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been leading the country and benefits have flowed to the people.
Nadda hit out at the opposition saying it is a collection of parties that don't have a leader, policy, conviction or even power to take a decision. "It is a photo op. It is a collection of parties which were involved in corruption during the UPA regime where Rs 20 lakh crore were lost," Nadda said.
The BJP chief said his party follows ideological conviction and those who agree with the BJP can join the alliance. Answering a question on parties against they had levelled corruption charges, Nadda said the law will take it's own course. He said BJP works within the ideological framework and those who agreed to it joined.
"When do they want to come to a larger cause? We set the agenda and who all want to join, comes."
The BJP chief said while his party's ideology is consistent, its strategy is dynamic. “What is wrong today may be right tomorrow,” Nadda said addressing the issue of parties that broke away in the past and now were again coming together. Nadda said they were not bothered about who would be the opposition's candidate against Modi. "We don't fight on others' weakness. We fight on our strength. When there is a pain (of an electoral setback), we take corrective steps."
The BJP chief listed a number of steps the Modi government has taken for the people. With direct benefit transfer, Rs 28 lakh crore have been transferred to the accounts of the beneficiaries and leakage of Rs 5 lakh crore has been stopped, he said. "All sections of the society, rural, marginalised, farmers, youth, Dalits, women; we focused schemes for them which built trust for NDA," he added.