Announcing on Monday that 38 parties have confirmed their participation in the National Democratic Alliance’s large-scale show of strength in Delhi today, BJP president J. P. Nadda criticized the opposition leaders’ unity drive and dubbed it a “selfish” effort to shield the leaders from action in cases of corruption.
Nadda said at a news conference the day before the event that “the NDA will resolve that the country will again elect its government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.”
According to reports, the NDA conference will take place in Delhi on Tuesday night while the 26 opposition parties’ two-day gathering began on Monday night in Bengaluru.
Who is the BJP made up of?
The AIADMK and Tamil Manila Congress in Tamil Nadu, the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde branch) and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP in Maharashtra, are among the important partners of the BJP.
A reconciliation effort between Chirag Paswan and his uncle Ram Chandra Pawan is now underway since it would offer the BJP access to the 6% of Paswan voters in Bihar, which the party has been coveting.
According to media sources, Upendra Singh Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Mukesh Sahani of the Vikassheel Insaan Party, and Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustani Awam Morcha are three other groups from Bihar that are anticipated to join the NDA. In the meanwhile, Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party joined the BJP’s list of allies in Uttar Pradesh.
Additionally, BJP keeps its friends in the northeast close. NPP (National People’s Party Meghalaya), NDPP (Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party), SKM (Sikkim Krantikari Morcha), MNF (Mizo National Front), ITFT (Tripura), BPP (Bodo People’s Party), and AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) are the seven parties that assist the BJP in running the seven northeastern states.
Aside from those in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the Jan Sena, headed by actor Pawan Kalyan, and the Kerala Congress (Thomas) group are also viewed as recent newcomers.
Nadda criticizes the opposition’s unity campaign
It is a ‘bhanumati ka kunba’ (motley gang), an opportunistic coalition, Nadda slammed the opposition alliance on Monday. It lacks a plan, a dedication, and a vision. Their only objective is to seize control and further their own interests. Later, the BJP president stated that the NDA is guided by the idea of the nation’s interest and the welfare of its citizens by enlisting the support of all social classes.
He said that it was put up out of self-interest in order to shield these politicians from corruption scandals involving more than Rs 20 lakh crore that occurred during the UPA administration. Simply a nice picture opportunity, he said.
Nadda lauds the Modi government
Nadda emphasized the Centre’s zero tolerance policy against corruption and said that since the NDA adopted it, there hasn’t been a single charge of corruption against the Modi administration in the previous nine years.
Nadda lauded the economic reforms and social programs put in place by the government in the previous nine years, noting that the poverty rate has decreased from 22% to below 10% and the rate of severe poverty is currently less than 1%.
Nadda said that the NDA is an alliance that exists to serve the nation and its citizens, not to seize power. “The NDA is an alliance to strengthen and unite the country and to take the nation forward,” he said.
According to Nadda, the NDA has grown as a result of the welfare programs and national interest-focused decisions made by Prime Minister Modi’s administration, which have attracted more and more individuals and parties to its fold.
In response to a query on whether the Telugu Desam Party and the Akali Dal, two former BJP partners, would also join the NDA, he replied it is up to them and asserted that they made the choice to break up their alliance with his party. He said that the BJP never asked them to leave.
The BJP president also attacked the Congress for implying that the governing party was gathering together its allies as a result of the opposition’s efforts to unite. He made fun of Congress lawmakers for their “ignorance” and noted that the NDA had recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.
