The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Wednesday formally elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi the leader of the alliance at a meeting attended by JD (U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu among others.

The prime minister and 20 senior leaders of the BJP-led NDA attended the crucial meeting which came the day after the Lok Sabha results.

The NDA’s key meeting, in which senior leaders of the BJP and leaders of alliance parties were present, was held under the chairmanship of the prime minister at the latter’s residence.

Among those who attended the meeting are BJP president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP’s allies including Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy, Janasena Party chief Pawan Kalyan, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) leader Praful Patel, Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM) among others.

After the meeting, the NDA unanimously adopted a resolution electing Narendra Modi the alliance’s leader.

The resolution highlights “the impactful development witnessed by 1.4 billion Indian citizens across the nation through the NDA government’s public welfare schemes under PM Modi’s leadership over the past decade”.

It acknowledges “the nation’s choice of robust leadership for the third consecutive term”.

The resolution “proudly emphasises the unity showcased by the NDA during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under PM Modi’s guidance, resulting in a victorious outcome”.

It declares “the unanimous election of Narendra Modi as the leader, affirming the commitment of the NDA government, under his leadership, to serve the underprivileged segments of society, including the poor, women, youth, farmers and marginalised communities”.

Furthermore, it pledges the new government’s dedication to fostering multifaceted development while safeguarding India’s rich heritage.

According to sources, during the meeting, all leaders congratulated the PM for his leadership and the strides our nation has made under him. They appreciated his hard work and efforts in nation building. They lauded his role in increasing India’s pride in the world. The NDA leaders also lauded the PM’s efforts towards poverty eradication and pledged to continue the good work.

The PM called the mandate for the 3rd consecutive government historic, which was last received in India 60 years back.

The TDP and the JD (U), the potential “kingmakers”, have given the green signal for the formation of a BJP-led NDA government. The NDA allies handed over their letters of support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to begin the process of formation of a new government.

A meeting of the newly-elected MPs of the NDA led by the BJP will be held on June 7 here in the national capital, sources said.

The BJP-led NDA secured 293 seats, emerging victorious over the Opposition alliance INDIA bloc, which garnered 232 seats.

The TDP and JD-U are key constituents of the NDA with 16 and 12 Lok Sabha seats respectively. Shiv Sena is also an important partner with 7 seats.