PM Modi says NDA an alliance that seeks to further national progress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the coming together of BJP-led NDA alliance partners, saying the alliance aims to propel the nation forward while addressing the unique aspirations of each region.

“It is a matter of immense joy that our valued NDA partners from across India will be attending the meeting in Delhi today. Ours is a time tested alliance which seeks to further national progress and fulfil regional aspirations,” he said.

Addressing the leaders of NDA, Modi said an alliance formed for the compulsion of power, based on dynastic politics and keeping in mind casteism and regionalism is very harmful to the country.

He said the NDA recently completed 25 years - a period of giving speed to the country's progress and fulfilling regional aspirations.

"NDA is a beautiful rainbow of regional aspirations... So nation's development through the development of states... At a time when we are working for a developed India, NDA is taking the lead in showing the spirit of 'sabka prayas'," he said. In NDA, 'N' means New India, 'D' means Developed Nation, 'A' means Aspirations of people and regions, he added.

NDA partners met in Delhi ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, RPI (Athawale), Meghalaya’s NPP, UP’s SBSP and Apna Dal (Sonelal), Bihar’s LJP and RLJD, Nagaland’s NDPP, Assam’s AGP and Tamil Nadu’s AIADMK are among the 38 parties who attended the meeting.

Modi said there has been a long tradition of political alliances in the country but whichever alliance was formed on the basis of negativity, it never succeeded.

"In the 1990s, the Congress in order to bring instability in the country used alliances. They formed governments and pulled down governments. The NDA was formed in this period in 1998...It was not formed against anybody or to remove anyone from power, but it was formed to bring stability to the country," the prime minister said.

He asserted that when there is a stable government, decisions that change the direction of the nation are taken.

"We saw it during Atal (Bihari Vajpayee) ji's tenure and we are seeing this in the last nine years. Due to a stable government, the confidence of the world in India has increased," he said.

"When we were in opposition also, we did constructive politics and did not indulge in negative politics. We opposed the government and brought to the fore their scams but we never disrespected the mandate. To oppose governments, we never sought foreign help," Modi said.

Modi said many opposition governments do not allow central schemes to be implemented in their states, and if implemented, they are not allowed to gather pace.

"When an alliance is formed due to compulsion of power, when an alliance is with the intention of corruption, when an alliance is based on dynastic politics, when an alliance is formed keeping in mind casteism and regionalism, then that alliance is very harmful to the country," Modi said.

The meeting comes as an alliance of opposition parties comprising Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT), Left parties, RJD, JDU, AAP, and others met in Bengaluru. The alliance said that they are changing their name from United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

Both the fronts are forging alliances at state levels to woo maximum voters ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Criticising the BJP, Jammu and Kashmir party National Conference president Omar Abdullah asked when was the last time NDA had a meeting.

"When was the last time an NDA meeting was held. Why they (BJP) have suddenly revived the idea of NDA. For them (BJP) alliance has become a necessity...," he said, apparently targeting the unitary style of functioning of the NDA led by Modi and BJP.