Leaders of the National Democratic Alliance met in Delhi on Wednesday, a day after the coalition won a majority in the Lok Sabha elections. The meeting passed a resolution electing Narendra Modi as the alliance leader, paving the way for his third term as the prime minister.
TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan were among those who were present at the meeting chaired by Modi. Senior BJP leaders were also in attendance.
The TDP and the JD(U), with 16 and 12 seats respectively, are likely to play crucial roles in the government formation, with reports suggesting that the two parties are expected to demand some key portfolios.
The NDA won 293 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, but the BJP fell way short of simple majority and managed to bag only 240 seats. The saffron party now will have to critically depend on its allies for government formation.
There have been reports that both Naidu and Nitish are being wooed by the opposition INDIA bloc which is also exploring the possibilities of government formation after it showed an impressive performance and bagged 233 seats in the general elections.
Though there was no official word on the date for the oath-taking ceremony, some media reports claimed that the new government will be sworn in on Saturday.
During the meeting, the alliance leaders congratulated the prime minister on his leadership and the “strides our nation have made under him”. They also appreciated Modi’s hardwork and efforts in nation building.
"In the last 10 years, 140 crore citizens of India have seen the country develop in every sector due to the welfare policies of the NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After a very long gap, of almost 6 decades, the people of India have chosen a powerful leader with an absolute majority for the third consecutive time," the NDA leaders' letter said.
The NDA leaders will now meet President Droupadi Murmu after a meeting with the newly elected members of the Lok Sabha scheduled for June 7.
