Lok Sabha election results 2019: NDA to meet today to elect PM Modi as leader
A BJP functionary said Prime Minister Modi is likely to fly to Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, on May 28 and that he may to spend a day in his home state, Gujarat, on May 29.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday submitted his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind and recommended dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha, setting in motion the process for the swearing in of the new National Democratic Alliance government headed by him.
Newly elected lawmakers of the ruling National Democratic Alliance will meet in New Delhi on Saturday to elect Modi as their leader and pave the way for his swearing in as Prime Minister, most likely on May 30.
“The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, met the President today and tendered his resignation along with the Council of Ministers,” a release from Rashtrapati Bhawan said.
Also Read | Modi govt 2.0: Space flight, solar shift in 1,000-day plan
“The President has accepted the resignation and requested Shri Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers to continue till the new government assumes office.”
The Union cabinet also met later in the day on Friday and adopted a resolution to recommend that President Kovind dissolve the current Lok Sabha. This will set in motion the process for the constitution of the new Lok Sabha and the swearing in of the newly elected MPs when the house meets in the first week of June.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, the main constituent of the NDA, stormed back to power on Thursday winning a clear majority for the second time in a row. The BJP won 303 out of 542 Lok Sabha seats, improving its 2014 tally of 282 . The NDA’s tally stood at 352 seats.
Top BJP leaders have hinted that the next government will include NDA allies despite the BJP getting a majority on its own.
“The meeting of the NDA parliamentary party will be held in the central hall of Parliament at 5 pm tomorrow (Saturday),” a BJP leader said. “A message has gone to newly elected MPs to be present in Delhi tomorrow.”
Also Read | From faith to gender and profession to caste: A profile of the 17th Lok Sabha
Some chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states are also expected to be in Delhi tomorrow with MPs from their respective states. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will host a lunch in Delhi for the newly elected MPs from his state. Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb is also arriving in Delhi tonight.
The new Lok Sabha has to be constituted by June 3. The process to form a new House will be initiated when the three Election Commissioners meet the President in the next few days to hand over the list of newly-elected members. The president will then invite Modi to form the government.
A BJP functionary said Prime Minister Modi is likely to fly to Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, on May 28 and that he may to spend a day in his home state, Gujarat, on May 29.
Modi retained Varanasi with a margin of 479505 votes, an increase of over 1 lakh votes from his 2014 tally.
Modi contested from two constituencies – Varanasi and Vadodra – in the previous election but retained the seat from Uttar Pradesh. This is his second parliamentary election.
Earlier in the day, Modi and BJP president Amit Shah called on party patriarch Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi and sought their blessings. Both Advani and Joshi are founding members of the BJP and have an advisory role as members of the party’s margdarshak mandal. Modi first drove to Advani’s house and touched the feet of his one-time mentor.
The BJP did not field the two leaders as they had crossed the age of 75 – the unwritten age limit in the BJP for a leader to get a ticket.
“Called on respected Advani Ji. The BJP’s successes today are possible because greats like him spent decades building the party and providing a fresh ideological narrative to the people,” Modi wrote on Twitter.
The Prime Minister then went to Joshi’s house, where the BJP patriarch welcomed him with a warm hug.
“Dr Murli Manohar Joshi is a scholar and intellectual par excellence. His contribution towards improving Indian education is remarkable. He has always worked to strengthen the BJP and mentor several Karyakartas, including me. Met him this morning and sought his blessings,” Modi wrote on Twitter.
Joshi told reporters that both Modi and Shah have done a stupendous job and ensured a “magical victory” for the party. The party which we started decades ago has now transformed into a big tree, he said.
