New Delhi: Eyeing a big show of strength by the National Democratic Alliance, BJP president J P Nadda said on Monday that 38 parties have confirmed their participation in its meeting and slammed the opposition leaders’ unity efforts as a “selfish” exercise to protect themselves from action in cases of corruption of over Rs 20 lakh crore.
“The NDA will resolve that the country will again elect its government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. The country has decided that...,” Nadda told a press conference a day before the ruling alliance and the opposition parties hold their meetings as their campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls gather pace.
The NDA meeting will be held in Delhi on Tuesday evening, while the two-day meeting of 26 opposition parties got underway in Bengaluru on Monday evening.
Nadda said that the NDA is underpinned by the ideology of national interest and people’s welfare by taking along all sections of society, as he hit out at the opposition parties as a coalition which has neither leader nor any intent or policy or the strength to take a decision.
It has been cobbled together with a selfish motive to protect these leaders from cases of corruption of more than Rs 20 lakh crore during the UPA government, he said. This is just a good photo opportunity, he added.
The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power between 2004 and 2014.
Nadda said the NDA has expanded due to its welfare policies and decision taken in the interest of the country by the government of Prime Minister Modi, drawing more and more people and parties into its fold.
To a question on whether the BJP’s former allies such as the Akali Dal and the Telugu Desam Party will also join the NDA, he said it is up to them and claimed that the decision to leave the alliance with his party was theirs. The BJP never asked them to go, he said. The BJP president also lashed out at the Congress for its suggestion that the ruling party was bringing together its allies due to the unity exercise in opposition ranks. The NDA just completed its 25 years of existence, he said, mocking Congress leaders for their “ignorance”.
Lauding the Modi government, he said that under its direct benefit transfer scheme, Rs 28 lakh crore has been credited into bank accounts of beneficiaries of several welfare schemes and a possible leakage of Rs 4-5 lakh crore has been plugged.
Besides, the usage of digital tools has increased in governance, bringing transparency, he added.
He said: “The world economy is facing global headwinds. Despite this, IMF has said that India has a stable economy. According to Morgan Stanley, India is the fastest growing economy and it’s a key driver for Asia and global growth. In the last nine years, we have witnessed PM Modi’s strong leadership. A positive environment has surged in the country and a common citizen feels proud.”
Meanwhile, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan has decided to return to the NDA, Nadda announced on Monday, hours after Paswan met Union Home minister Amit Shah, a day before the crucial meeting of the ruling coalition.
“I met Chirag Paswanji in Delhi. He has decided to join the NDA alliance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. I welcome him to the NDA family,” Nadda said on Twitter and posted photographs of his meeting with Paswan.
Paswan had been in talks with the BJP for finalising his party’s share of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar for 2024 and the meeting is being seen as part of that exercise.
“Had a positive discussion with the country’s Home Minister respected Shri Amit Shah in New Delhi on issues related to the alliance,” Paswan said in a tweet after meeting Shah.
Later, Shah said in a tweet that he and Paswan had an extensive discussion about Bihar politics. Union minister Nityanand Rai, a senior BJP leader from Bihar, had earlier met Paswan twice.
The undivided LJP under late stalwart Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan, Chirag’s father, had contested six Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and also received a Rajya Sabha seat as part of its seat-sharing deal with the BJP.
The young leader wants the BJP to stick to the same arrangement despite a division in his party, with another faction, Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party, headed by his uncle and Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras already a part of the ruling alliance. Chirag has emphasised on clarity from the BJP about his share of Lok Sabha and also assembly seats in Bihar before formalising their alliance, sources in the LJP(R) said. He also wants the BJP to concede to him the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat, a pocket borough of his father for decades but currently represented by Paras in Parliament.
His uncle has also staked claim to the seat, asserting that he and not Chirag is the late leader’s political heir. The BJP has also been working to bring about a rapprochement between the two sides, with Rai meeting the Union minister as well.
Even though Paras got the support of all other four MPs of the party besides Paswan, his nephew is seen to have largely succeeded in inheriting the support of the vote bank loyal to his father.
Since the split with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United), the BJP has been keen to bring Paswan back to its side as it works to bolster its strength in the politically crucial state.
Paswan had walked out of the NDA during the 2020 assembly polls in the state due to his opposition to Kumar, then a BJP ally. He has, however, been supportive of the BJP on key issues.