Hitting out at the grand Opposition bloc — INDIA — Union Minister of State for Shipping, Shantanu Thakur, said while there will be attempts to unseat the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the BJP-led alliance will remain in power at the Centre “for the next 25 years”.

“The BJP will remain in power for the next 25 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi won’t rest or leave office till he has finished what he started, which is to take India to new heights. He laid the foundation for a new India and will hold office till the dream is realized,” the Union Minister told ANI.

The Opposition bloc, which took shape at the inaugural meeting in Patna chaired by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, christened itself as Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance at their second meeting in Bengaluru.

The bloc is aimed at putting up a united fight against the BJP-led NDA in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

Taking a further dig at the Opposition alliance, which is to hold its third meeting over two days in Mumbai, the Union minister said, “While many such meetings will be held to unseat the NDA from power, you can jot it down that the BJP will return with an even bigger majority than the last (2019) general elections.”

The third meeting of the Opposition bloc will be held in Mumbai from August 31 to September 1.

The Union minister said while the Opposition forces have cobbled up a national alliance to take on the BJP-led NDA, the partners in INDIA were at odds in their respective states.

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which are partners in the Opposition bloc, have been involved in a war of words after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal voiced concern over the state of government schools in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh.

Earlier this month, the grand alliance moved a no-confidence motion against the Centre in the Lok Sabha, during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, over the alleged failure to handle the ethnic violence in Manipur.

However, the motion was defeated by a voice vote.

Meanwhile, on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s opposition to the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the BJP leader said, “If a legislation is made, it has to be implemented.”