New Delhi: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance – which won 293 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election to push past the majority mark of 272 – will form the new government Saturday.

Despite INDIA bloc’s overtures to key politicians, the National Democratic Alliance on Wednesday extended its support to Narendra Modi. The NDA partners adopted a three-paragraph resolution in Hindi saying they elect the BJP stalwart as “our leader”. The Varanasi MP will likely take oath of office for his third term as the Prime Minister of India on June 8. The Opposition’s alliance, which also huddled up in the national capital yesterday, in an ominous warning, said it will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to “realise the people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP government”.

In the NDA meeting, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who has emerged as the proverbial kingmaker after the Lok Sabha elections, reportedly coaxed Narendra Modi to act fast on the formation of his third government.

Nitish Kumar, whose JD(U) won 12 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, reportedly told Modi that there shouldn’t be any delay in the formation of the government. Mr Modi and the BJP are well-aware of their importance to the NDA; he made special mention of the TDP and JDU bosses during his victory speech Tuesday night at the party HQ in Delhi. 

Meanwhile, INDIA leaders, including Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge, have been coy about reaching out to either Mr Naidu or Nitish Kumar, but the intent is there, sources have said.

The Congress produced its best performance since 2009 to win 99 seats. In 2019 the party won only 52 seats (and Rahul Gandhi quit as boss), while it managed just 44 in 2014.

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