Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attacked the Opposition’s new alliance against his government, and said alliances formed with negativity never succeed and only harm the nation.

Addressing an NDA meeting, he said, “When an alliance is formed with an intention for corruption, dynastic rule, regionalism or casteist objectives, it can do big harm to the country.”

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The prime minister said the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) was not born out of compulsion, but conviction, and its objective was not power, but to serve the nation.

He further said the NDA was formed not to oppose anybody or to remove anybody from office; it only wanted stability in the country.

Even in the Opposition, the NDA never followed negative politics, although it exposed scams, never insulted public mandate and never looked to foreign lands for support, the prime minister said.

These days, the Opposition’s state governments try to block welfare schemes from the Centre. They think the poor will not care for them if they implement the Central schemes. For Ayushman Bharat scheme, he had to write letters to the states often, he said.

Modi said the BJP-led alliance had completed 25 years and this period saw the nation’s progress through progress of states.

The Congress-led UPA was a government when even the head of government was overshadowed by another person, he said. There was policy paralysis and every time it was questioned, it gave the excuse of compulsions of political coalitions, Modi contended.

For the NDA, he said the alliance meant capacity. Credit for NDA’s success belonged to all, just as responsibility rested with all its components. No party in the NDA was small or big, “we are working for one target”, he added.

The Prime Minister welcomed all new parties joining the NDA, saying the NDA today enjoyed the support of successors of late Akali Dal leader Prakash Singh Badal and Shiv Sena’s late leader Balasaheb Thackeray. He said the NDA would consider all suggestions from its member-parties.

All deprived sections of the society today had faith in the NDA, he said. Economic thinkers too considered the NDA contributing to national progress. Mr Modi said.

He said when there is a stable government, it can take long-term decisions. This was evident during the Vajpayee government. The world today has faith in India because of its stable government.

Whether it was 2019 or 2014, NDA remained in power. Today, the NDA includes parties of the deprived sections from tribal and ignored sections of societies and they form a rainbow of regional aspirations, he said.

The NDA is dedicated to the nation and its people, he said. Nation first, progress first, empowerment of people first, is what NDA believes in. “We had committed to defeat poverty and therefore, the NDA worked for the poor,” he said.

Even the Niti Aayog 13.5 crore was out of poverty. The World Bank report said 40 crore had overcome poverty. Even IMF corroborated about the extreme poverty.

“We are not working for today’s needs but for future generations,” he said. The NDA Government was constructing one lakh amrit sarovars in the country. “We have thrown out all middlemen through technology,” he said.

As the NDA leaders representing 38 parties began deliberating their strategy to counter Opposition moves for the 2024 elections, the prime minister tweeted: “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 fulfill regional aspirations.”

Modi received an enthusiastic welcome by the NDA leaders at Ashok Hotel, the venue of the meeting, specially called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to mark the NDA government’s nine years of achievements.