Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 19 said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will secure over 50 per cent of the total votes polled in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing the meeting of the NDA in the national capital, which came hours after 26 Opposition parties held their second unity meeting in Bengaluru on July 19, PM Modi said, “The NDA got 38 per cent (of the total votes polled) in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Acknowledging the work that we put in to safeguard our national interests, they reposed their faith in us and gave us 45 per cent of the (total) vote share in the 2019 elections. All our alliance partners are working sincerely and dedicatedly, which gives me the confidence that we will get over 50 per cent vote share in 2024.”
He stated further that the NDA has always put the country over selflish political interests, adding that the abuse of rivals has come to be the identity of the Opposition parties.
“In politics, there can be competitiveness, not enmity. We have always kept India above all political interests. It is the NDA Government that conferred the Bharat Ratna on Pranab-da (former President and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee). We also conferred the Padma award on Sharad Pawar, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Muzaffar Baig and many other leaders, who were not with us. We always kept India above all political interests,” PM Modi said.
Further, in a veiled attack at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remark at an event in London earlier this year, questioning why the “defenders to democracies” were unmoved over the prevailing state of affairs in India, PM Modi said even when the NDA was in the Opposition, it never insulted the people’s mandate or never took help of foreign powers to destablise the ruling Governments.
“Even when we were in the Opposition, we always preached and practised positive politics. We unearthed scams of previous governments but never questioned or insulted the mandate of the people. We never took the help of foreign powers against the ruling governments. We never created hurdles to development schemes meant for the welfare of the country and its people,” PM Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also coined a new full form of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – New India, Developed Nation, Aspiration of People of India.
“In 2014 (before the BJP-led NDA came to power), our economy was languishing in the 10th position. Today, we are at the fifth position. During our third term, we will become the third-largest economy in the world. We are working hard to accomplish this goal,” PM Modi said.
Asserting that every inch of his being was dedicated to serving the country, PM Modi said he won’t rest till the goals that he has set for himself and the country are accomplished.
PM Modi during his address at the ‘NDA Leaders’ Meet’ recalled the role of Atal ji, Advani ji and the various other prominent leaders in shaping the NDA and providing it the necessary direction and guidance. PM Modi also acknowledged and congratulated all on the completion of 25 years since the establishment of NDA in 1998. This Silver Jubilee has played an important role in the nation-building of India, he remarked.
NDA is the legacy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee L K Advani also played key role in shaping it and continues to guide us, L K Advani also played key role in shaping it and continues to guide us: PM Modi said at alliance meeting.
“I assure you that I will leave no stone unturned in my hard work… Mere shareer ka haar kann, mere samay ka har shan, desh ko hi samarpit hai . (Every inch of my body, every moment of my time is dedicated to serving the country),” PM Modi added.
Regarding the contributions by the NDA, PM Modi said that all the parties that have been a part of the alliance, have worked tirelessly to empower the poor and the downtrodden. He added that it had been the efforts of the various parties of the NDA, that today even the commonest of voices, demands and aspirations were reaching the Central Government in Delhi. “NDA has always manifested Nation-First and Nation’s Security First, Progress First and the Empowerment of People First,” said PM Modi.
He stated further that people have already made up their minds to bring back the NDA at the Centre.
“For their political interests, these (Opposition) leaders can come close but they can never truly come together. The 2024 elections isn’t far and the people have already made up their minds to bring the NDA for a third time,” PM Modi said.
He added that he was hopeful that the NDA will secure over 50 per cent of the total votes polled in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
The NDA leaders, who arrived for the meeting, also posed for a group photograph before going into a huddle.
The meeting is part of the BJP’s ongoing efforts to shore up the NDA and devise a joint strategy against the fledgeling grand Opposition alliance, ‘INDIA’, with an eye on next year’s Lok Sabha elections
