Two days after most exit polls predicted a virtually clean sweep by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lok Sabha elections, top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attended a dinner hosted by Amit Shah in the capital on Tuesday.
The dinner was followed by a meeting in which nearly two dozen allies felicitated the prime minister. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Parkash Singh Badal, and Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari, among others, were there.
During the dinner meeting, the prime minister expressed concern over the "needless controversy" created by the Opposition over electronic voting machines (EVMs), even as the ruling alliance laid out its agenda for the next five years if it was re-elected.
The meeting, attended by 36 parties, passed a resolution, terming the 2019 general election decisive for the country and pledging to make India "strong, developed, prosperous and inclusive" by 2022, when India completes 75 years of its independence, Union minister Rajnath Singh told reporters. The resolution was proposed by BJP ally and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
Earlier in the day, at a meeting termed ‘aabhaar milan’ or thanksgiving at the BJP national headquarters, the prime minister thanked party leaders and alliance partners for their hard work in contributing to the success of the government, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.
“I have seen many elections but this one was beyond politics. Public was fighting them. I have campaigned in assembly elections and undertaken political tours for the party in different elections. When I toured during these polls, it seemed that I was on a pilgrimage,” the prime minister was quoted as saying. Members of the council of ministers, including those of the BJP’s allies, attended the meeting.
Later in a tweet, BJP chief Shah said, “I congratulate Team Modi Sarkar for their hard work and remarkable achievements in the last five years. Let us keep this momentum going for a New India under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi."
Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, J P Nadda and Prakash Javadekar were among key leaders from the BJP at the meeting.