In key meetings, NDA elects PM Modi as leader, INDIA bloc says will continue the fight: Top 10 developments | India News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: The NDA members on Wednesday unanimously elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi as their leader during a key meeting in Delhi. The NDA parties, including TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and JDU’s Nitish Kumar, signed the resolution to elect PM Modi as the alliance leader. The NDA MPs are set to meet again on June 7 to formally elect PM Modi as their leader, after which they will submit their letters of support to the President.
The new government is expected to be sworn in over the weekend, with efforts being made to expedite the formalities and prevent any uncertainty that the opposition may seek to exploit.
Meanwhile, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar dismissed suggestions of defecting to the opposition and reaffirmed their commitment to the NDA.
On the other hand, the INDIA bloc also held a meeting where they resolved to continue their fight against the BJP’s rule and take appropriate steps “to realize the people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP government”. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also invited parties sharing a commitment to the Constitution’s values to join the INDIA bloc.
Besides, President Droupadi Murmu dissolved the 17th Lok Sabha after the recommendation of the Union cabinet.
These developments came after the BJP emerged as the largest party in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, securing 240 seats, while the Congress came in second with 99 seats.
The NDA alliance, which includes the BJP and its partners, has a majority with 293 seats, surpassing the halfway mark. The opposition alliance secured 234 seats.
Although the BJP fell short of a majority on its own, it is likely to form the government with the support of its allies.
The TDP and JD(U), which won 16 and 12 seats respectively in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, have dismissed suggestions of defecting to the opposition. However, sources indicate that the Congress and other opposition parties are attempting to woo these allies.
Here are the top 10 developments of the day-
NDA elects PM Modi its leader, passes resolution lauding him
Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a meeting of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s members on Wednesday, as he prepares to take the oath for a third consecutive term as the head of a coalition government. The NDA members unanimously elected him as their leader during the meeting.
According to HAM (Secular) leader and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, NDA MPs will convene on June 7 to formally elect Modi as their leader, and the alliance leaders will then submit their letters of support to the President. Some sources suggest that the new government is likely to be sworn in on June 8.
The timing of the swearing-in ceremony may also depend on how quickly the BJP and its allies can reach an agreement on matters such as the distribution of ministries among the parties and other terms of negotiations. Alternatively, they could postpone the resolution of these tricky issues to a later stage.
The meeting was attended by 21 leaders from 16 parties, including TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, LJP(R) leader Chirag Paswan, JD(S) leader H D Kumarawamy, Jana Sena’s Pawan Kalyan, AGP’s Atul Bora, and NCP’s Praful Patel, in addition to Modi and BJP’s Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and J P Nadda.
‘JD(U) will stick to NDA’
JDU national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan dismissed rumors about Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar joining the INDIA bloc after the Lok Sabha results. In a press statement issued by the party, Ranjan said that despite investing heavily in various manipulations and false propaganda, the INDIA bloc leaders have lost their mental balance after facing defeat in the elections for the third consecutive time.
“The false propaganda about Nitish Kumar is a result of their frustration. They should know that the unity of the NDA is as strong as a rock,” Ranjan said.
“On one side were those eager to maintain their family dominance, and on the other were leaders like Namo-Nitish who care about the nation’s interests. Even though our seats have slightly decreased, by defeating the dynastic parties for the third consecutive time, the people have shown that the days of dynastic rule are over. The public stands with democracy and development,” the statement read in Hindi.
‘How can we contest elections collectively if we are not part of the NDA?’: Naidu
After attending the NDA meeting to discuss the formation of the new government, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu confirmed that the TDP is aligned with the NDA. He posed the question, “How can we contest elections collectively if we are not part of the NDA?”, stressing the importance of being part of the alliance.
Naidu described the meeting with BJP’s top leadership as positive. When asked about the TDP’s role in the NDA, he reiterated, “How can we contest elections if we are not a part of the NDA? We fought this collectively.”
The presence of Naidu and Nitish Kumar at the NDA meeting holds significant importance, as their parties’ support is crucial for the BJP to form the government. This time, the BJP fell 32 seats short of the majority mark of 272 and will need to rely on its allies to form a government.
‘Will take steps at the right time’: Kharge
In a statement following the INDIA bloc’s first meeting, parallel to the NDA in Delhi after the Lok Sabha poll results, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the alliance partners would take necessary actions at the appropriate moment to fulfill the public’s desire not to be governed by the BJP.
The nearly two-hour meeting concluded with the leaders resolving to persist in their struggle against the BJP’s “fascist rule” led by Narendra Modi, while expressing gratitude to the people for their immense support to the INDIA bloc.
Kharge, reading from a statement adopted unanimously by all alliance members, said, “We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP’s government.” He emphasised that this decision was made collectively by all INDIA bloc constituents.
The Congress president had called the meeting to assess the political landscape and election outcomes, and to explore the possibility of forming a government and reaching out to former partners Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu. Kharge also affirmed that the opposition would continue to collaborate and stand by the commitments made to the people.
Kharge invites parties to join INDIA bloc
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge extended an invitation to all parties that uphold the principles outlined in the Constitution’s Preamble to join the INDIA bloc during the opposition grouping’s first meeting following its commendable performance in the Lok Sabha elections.
Kharge commended the INDIA bloc partners for their united and resolute efforts in the polls. He emphasised that the election results indicated a rejection of Prime Minister Modi’s politics, both in substance and style, marking a significant political and moral defeat for him. However, Kharge accused Modi of attempting to undermine the will of the people.
“The INDIA alliance welcomes all parties which share its fundamental commitment to the values enshrined in the Preamble to our Constitution and to its many provisions for economic, social and political justice,” Kharge said reaffirming the bloc’s commitment to the Constitution’s principles.
PM Modi tenders resignation to President
PM Modi submitted his resignation, along with that of the council of ministers, to President Droupadi Murmu. The President accepted the resignations and requested the Prime Minister and the council of ministers to continue in their roles until the formation of the new government.
Earlier in the morning, the Union Cabinet convened its final meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence, during which a proposal was approved for the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha. This development follows the Lok Sabha election results announced on the previous day, which granted a clear majority to the BJP-led NDA, securing nearly 295 seats and setting the stage for the next government formation.
President Murmu hosts dinner for outgoing council of ministers
President Droupadi Murmu organized a dinner at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, inviting PM Modi and the outgoing council of ministers. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla were also present at the event.
The President’s office shared the news on ‘X’, saying, “President Droupadi Murmu hosted a dinner for the outgoing Union Council of Ministers, led by Prime Minister @narendramodi, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.”
Tejashwi Yadav, Nitish Kumar on same flight, pic goes viral
Earlier in the day, two photos of Bihar rivals Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav went viral in which they were seen traveling in the same plane. Both the leaders were on their way to Delhi to attend meetings of the NDA and the INDIA bloc respectively. What caught people’s attention on social media was how in the first pic the leaders were seen sitting in different rows (Tejashwi behind Nitish) and in the second photo, they sat together. The pics sent people into a frenzy as it led to the wild speculation of Nitish coming around to the INDIA bloc.
Later, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav shared what went on the plane and the story behind the viral pictures. According to Yadav, the two leaders exchanged greetings, and Kumar invited him to sit together despite Yadav being assigned a seat behind him. “We greeted each other, I was allotted the seat behind him but he saw me and called me to sit with him,” Tejashwi said.
As the NDA and INDIA bloc leaders converged in Delhi for their respective meetings, prominent figures such as Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu from the NDA, along with Tejashwi Yadav from the RJD, found themselves on the same plane.
‘Want to quit as Maharashtra’s dy CM’: Fadnavis
After the BJP’s Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra dropped from 23 to 9, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis offered to resign from his post today. He expressed his desire to work “full time” for the party in preparation for the upcoming assembly elections.
Fadnavis took responsibility for the BJP’s performance in Maharashtra and requested the party leadership to relieve him of his duties in the government. He acknowledged his shortcomings and pledged to overcome them. The assembly elections in the state are scheduled to take place within the next six months.
Meanwhile, CM Shinde said,”Electoral defeat is a collective responsibility. All three parties had worked together in the elections. If you look at the vote share, Mahayuti got more than two lakh votes in Mumbai. The reasons for the defeat will be honestly reviewed.”
“In the last two years, the government has made many good decisions in the state. I will be speaking to Devendra ji soon. We have worked together in the past and we will keep on working in the future. We have collectively failed to counter the false claims of the opposition,” he added.
The Congress, meanwhile, criticized Fadnavis’ offer to resign, calling it a “drama” and suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be the one to quit. State Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe accused Fadnavis of running an “unconstitutional government” and publicly admitting to breaking up two parties to return to power.
Worldleaders including Biden, Putin and Sunak congratulate PM Modi
US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and French President Emmanuel Macron were among the numerous world leaders who extended their congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the victory of the BJP-led NDA coalition in the general elections. They expressed their eagerness to collaborate closely with him in the future.
In his congratulatory message, Biden said, “Congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance on their victory, and the nearly 650 million voters in this historic election. The friendship between our nations is only growing as we unlock a shared future of unlimited potential.”
During a phone call, President Putin conveyed his warm congratulations to Modi on his party’s electoral success, acknowledging the support for the Indian leadership’s political course and the country’s socio-economic development and growing international influence. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the current state of the Russian-Indian special and privileged strategic partnership and agreed to continue expanding it in all areas.
British Prime Minister Sunak spoke to PM Modi and congratulated him on his election victory, emphasizing the close friendship between the UK and India. French President Macron noted the conclusion of the world’s largest elections and expressed his desire to continue strengthening the strategic partnership between India and France.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also congratulated Modi on his victory. They highlighted the significance of India’s role in global affairs and expressed their willingness to work together to advance bilateral ties and contribute to peace and prosperity.
Leaders from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mauritius, Maldives, Bhutan, Barbados, Jamaica, Lithuania, and Kenya also extended their congratulations to Modi and the BJP-led NDA coalition. They emphasised the importance of strengthening bilateral relationships and working closely with India to achieve shared goals and overcome challenges.
(With inputs from agencies)
The new government is expected to be sworn in over the weekend, with efforts being made to expedite the formalities and prevent any uncertainty that the opposition may seek to exploit.
Meanwhile, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar dismissed suggestions of defecting to the opposition and reaffirmed their commitment to the NDA.
On the other hand, the INDIA bloc also held a meeting where they resolved to continue their fight against the BJP’s rule and take appropriate steps “to realize the people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP government”. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also invited parties sharing a commitment to the Constitution’s values to join the INDIA bloc.
Besides, President Droupadi Murmu dissolved the 17th Lok Sabha after the recommendation of the Union cabinet.
These developments came after the BJP emerged as the largest party in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, securing 240 seats, while the Congress came in second with 99 seats.
The NDA alliance, which includes the BJP and its partners, has a majority with 293 seats, surpassing the halfway mark. The opposition alliance secured 234 seats.
Although the BJP fell short of a majority on its own, it is likely to form the government with the support of its allies.
The TDP and JD(U), which won 16 and 12 seats respectively in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, have dismissed suggestions of defecting to the opposition. However, sources indicate that the Congress and other opposition parties are attempting to woo these allies.
Here are the top 10 developments of the day-
NDA elects PM Modi its leader, passes resolution lauding him
Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a meeting of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s members on Wednesday, as he prepares to take the oath for a third consecutive term as the head of a coalition government. The NDA members unanimously elected him as their leader during the meeting.
According to HAM (Secular) leader and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, NDA MPs will convene on June 7 to formally elect Modi as their leader, and the alliance leaders will then submit their letters of support to the President. Some sources suggest that the new government is likely to be sworn in on June 8.
The timing of the swearing-in ceremony may also depend on how quickly the BJP and its allies can reach an agreement on matters such as the distribution of ministries among the parties and other terms of negotiations. Alternatively, they could postpone the resolution of these tricky issues to a later stage.
The meeting was attended by 21 leaders from 16 parties, including TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, LJP(R) leader Chirag Paswan, JD(S) leader H D Kumarawamy, Jana Sena’s Pawan Kalyan, AGP’s Atul Bora, and NCP’s Praful Patel, in addition to Modi and BJP’s Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and J P Nadda.
‘JD(U) will stick to NDA’
JDU national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan dismissed rumors about Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar joining the INDIA bloc after the Lok Sabha results. In a press statement issued by the party, Ranjan said that despite investing heavily in various manipulations and false propaganda, the INDIA bloc leaders have lost their mental balance after facing defeat in the elections for the third consecutive time.
“The false propaganda about Nitish Kumar is a result of their frustration. They should know that the unity of the NDA is as strong as a rock,” Ranjan said.
“On one side were those eager to maintain their family dominance, and on the other were leaders like Namo-Nitish who care about the nation’s interests. Even though our seats have slightly decreased, by defeating the dynastic parties for the third consecutive time, the people have shown that the days of dynastic rule are over. The public stands with democracy and development,” the statement read in Hindi.
‘How can we contest elections collectively if we are not part of the NDA?’: Naidu
After attending the NDA meeting to discuss the formation of the new government, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu confirmed that the TDP is aligned with the NDA. He posed the question, “How can we contest elections collectively if we are not part of the NDA?”, stressing the importance of being part of the alliance.
Naidu described the meeting with BJP’s top leadership as positive. When asked about the TDP’s role in the NDA, he reiterated, “How can we contest elections if we are not a part of the NDA? We fought this collectively.”
The presence of Naidu and Nitish Kumar at the NDA meeting holds significant importance, as their parties’ support is crucial for the BJP to form the government. This time, the BJP fell 32 seats short of the majority mark of 272 and will need to rely on its allies to form a government.
‘Will take steps at the right time’: Kharge
In a statement following the INDIA bloc’s first meeting, parallel to the NDA in Delhi after the Lok Sabha poll results, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the alliance partners would take necessary actions at the appropriate moment to fulfill the public’s desire not to be governed by the BJP.
The nearly two-hour meeting concluded with the leaders resolving to persist in their struggle against the BJP’s “fascist rule” led by Narendra Modi, while expressing gratitude to the people for their immense support to the INDIA bloc.
Kharge, reading from a statement adopted unanimously by all alliance members, said, “We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP’s government.” He emphasised that this decision was made collectively by all INDIA bloc constituents.
The Congress president had called the meeting to assess the political landscape and election outcomes, and to explore the possibility of forming a government and reaching out to former partners Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu. Kharge also affirmed that the opposition would continue to collaborate and stand by the commitments made to the people.
Kharge invites parties to join INDIA bloc
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge extended an invitation to all parties that uphold the principles outlined in the Constitution’s Preamble to join the INDIA bloc during the opposition grouping’s first meeting following its commendable performance in the Lok Sabha elections.
Kharge commended the INDIA bloc partners for their united and resolute efforts in the polls. He emphasised that the election results indicated a rejection of Prime Minister Modi’s politics, both in substance and style, marking a significant political and moral defeat for him. However, Kharge accused Modi of attempting to undermine the will of the people.
“The INDIA alliance welcomes all parties which share its fundamental commitment to the values enshrined in the Preamble to our Constitution and to its many provisions for economic, social and political justice,” Kharge said reaffirming the bloc’s commitment to the Constitution’s principles.
PM Modi tenders resignation to President
PM Modi submitted his resignation, along with that of the council of ministers, to President Droupadi Murmu. The President accepted the resignations and requested the Prime Minister and the council of ministers to continue in their roles until the formation of the new government.
Earlier in the morning, the Union Cabinet convened its final meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence, during which a proposal was approved for the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha. This development follows the Lok Sabha election results announced on the previous day, which granted a clear majority to the BJP-led NDA, securing nearly 295 seats and setting the stage for the next government formation.
President Murmu hosts dinner for outgoing council of ministers
President Droupadi Murmu organized a dinner at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, inviting PM Modi and the outgoing council of ministers. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla were also present at the event.
The President’s office shared the news on ‘X’, saying, “President Droupadi Murmu hosted a dinner for the outgoing Union Council of Ministers, led by Prime Minister @narendramodi, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.”
Tejashwi Yadav, Nitish Kumar on same flight, pic goes viral
Earlier in the day, two photos of Bihar rivals Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav went viral in which they were seen traveling in the same plane. Both the leaders were on their way to Delhi to attend meetings of the NDA and the INDIA bloc respectively. What caught people’s attention on social media was how in the first pic the leaders were seen sitting in different rows (Tejashwi behind Nitish) and in the second photo, they sat together. The pics sent people into a frenzy as it led to the wild speculation of Nitish coming around to the INDIA bloc.
Later, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav shared what went on the plane and the story behind the viral pictures. According to Yadav, the two leaders exchanged greetings, and Kumar invited him to sit together despite Yadav being assigned a seat behind him. “We greeted each other, I was allotted the seat behind him but he saw me and called me to sit with him,” Tejashwi said.
As the NDA and INDIA bloc leaders converged in Delhi for their respective meetings, prominent figures such as Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu from the NDA, along with Tejashwi Yadav from the RJD, found themselves on the same plane.
‘Want to quit as Maharashtra’s dy CM’: Fadnavis
After the BJP’s Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra dropped from 23 to 9, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis offered to resign from his post today. He expressed his desire to work “full time” for the party in preparation for the upcoming assembly elections.
Fadnavis took responsibility for the BJP’s performance in Maharashtra and requested the party leadership to relieve him of his duties in the government. He acknowledged his shortcomings and pledged to overcome them. The assembly elections in the state are scheduled to take place within the next six months.
Meanwhile, CM Shinde said,”Electoral defeat is a collective responsibility. All three parties had worked together in the elections. If you look at the vote share, Mahayuti got more than two lakh votes in Mumbai. The reasons for the defeat will be honestly reviewed.”
“In the last two years, the government has made many good decisions in the state. I will be speaking to Devendra ji soon. We have worked together in the past and we will keep on working in the future. We have collectively failed to counter the false claims of the opposition,” he added.
The Congress, meanwhile, criticized Fadnavis’ offer to resign, calling it a “drama” and suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be the one to quit. State Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe accused Fadnavis of running an “unconstitutional government” and publicly admitting to breaking up two parties to return to power.
Worldleaders including Biden, Putin and Sunak congratulate PM Modi
US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and French President Emmanuel Macron were among the numerous world leaders who extended their congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the victory of the BJP-led NDA coalition in the general elections. They expressed their eagerness to collaborate closely with him in the future.
In his congratulatory message, Biden said, “Congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance on their victory, and the nearly 650 million voters in this historic election. The friendship between our nations is only growing as we unlock a shared future of unlimited potential.”
During a phone call, President Putin conveyed his warm congratulations to Modi on his party’s electoral success, acknowledging the support for the Indian leadership’s political course and the country’s socio-economic development and growing international influence. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the current state of the Russian-Indian special and privileged strategic partnership and agreed to continue expanding it in all areas.
British Prime Minister Sunak spoke to PM Modi and congratulated him on his election victory, emphasizing the close friendship between the UK and India. French President Macron noted the conclusion of the world’s largest elections and expressed his desire to continue strengthening the strategic partnership between India and France.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also congratulated Modi on his victory. They highlighted the significance of India’s role in global affairs and expressed their willingness to work together to advance bilateral ties and contribute to peace and prosperity.
Leaders from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mauritius, Maldives, Bhutan, Barbados, Jamaica, Lithuania, and Kenya also extended their congratulations to Modi and the BJP-led NDA coalition. They emphasised the importance of strengthening bilateral relationships and working closely with India to achieve shared goals and overcome challenges.
(With inputs from agencies)
