Congress' Last 3 Poll Tally Fewer Than BJP's 2024 Haul, Says PM Modi

Newly elected MPs of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unanimously elected Narendra Modi as their parliamentary party leader and endorsed him as Prime Minister during a high-profile meeting at Parliament's Central Hall on Friday.

In his address to alliance partners and newly elected lawmakers, Modi highlighted that the NDA is not merely a coalition for power but an organic alliance committed to the principle of 'nation first.'

"This is the most successful alliance in India's history. Our aim will be to achieve unanimity in all our decisions," he declared.

PM Modi also took a swipe at the opposition INDIA alliance, noting that those who questioned the EVMs and the Election Commission during the elections were silenced on June 4.

"When the results were coming out, I asked someone, 'Numbers are fine, but tell me, is the EVM alive or dead?' These people [Opposition] had decided to erode faith in democracy. They continuously abused EVMs. But by the evening of June 4, they fell silent. The EVM had silenced them. This is the strength of India's democracy, its fairness," Modi remarked.

He argued that the Opposition's attempts to frame the 2024 Lok Sabha results as a loss for the BJP-led NDA were thwarted by the people, who "know we never lost." Taking a jab at the Congress, he noted that the party couldn't cross the 100-seat mark in the Lok Sabha polls even after a decade.

"Their total seats in the last three Lok Sabha polls are fewer than our tally in this election alone," he said, comparing the BJP's 240-seat haul to the Congress's 99, the latter's best performance since 2014.

Setting the government's agenda for the next decade, he stated the focus would be on "good governance, development, and minimum interference in the lives of citizens."

The meeting to elect Narendra Modi as the leader of the NDA MPs, paving the way for his third consecutive term as Prime Minister, began around 11:30 AM.

Top leaders of NDA partners, including JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, Jana Sena Party founder Pawan Kalyan, NCP chief Ajit Pawar, and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan, attended the key meeting.

Chants of 'Modi-Modi' echoed through the halls of Samvidhan Sadan, the old Parliament building, as Modi arrived for the parliamentary party meeting. As he took his seat, he exchanged a few words with Naidu and Nitish Kumar, who were seated to his left.

Endorsing Modi as Prime Minister, Naidu praised, "He has a vision and a zeal. His execution is very perfect. He is implementing all his policies with true spirit...Today, India has the right leader - that is Narendra Modi."

The camaraderie between Nitish Kumar and Modi was evident as they shared smiles and warm handshakes after the Bihar Chief Minister delivered a glowing speech supporting a third term for Modi.

"It is very good that we have all come together and we will work together with you [Modi]. You will be swearing in as the Prime Minister on Sunday, but I wanted you to do it today itself. Whenever you take the oath, we will be with you...We will all work together under your leadership," Kumar stated.

Following the meeting, the NDA will stake a claim to form the government. All NDA constituents are expected to present letters of support to President Droupadi Murmu, endorsing Modi as the new Prime Minister.