NDA best suited to fufil regional aspirations: Modi

Signalling its intent to take the allies along in the future as well, BJP top brass on Tuesday met leaders of the coalition partners at a thanksgiving meet two days before the counting of votes of the Lok Sabha election even as some exit polls projected a clear majority to BJP alone.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the entire council of ministers to the BJP headquarters for 'aabhaar milan' – a closed door affair. Later, BJP chief Amit Shah hosted a gala dinner for coalition partners where Modi was also present.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said as many as 36 NDA partners were present at the dinner and three regional outfits who could not attend the meeting had sent in letters of support to the alliance.

The meeting of NDA, presided over by Akali Dal veteran Parkash Singh Badal, also adopted a resolution expressing confidence in the leadership of the Prime Minister and vowing to accelerate the speed of development in the country.

“Our alliance represents India’s diversity and our agenda is India’s progress. We are best suited to address regional aspirations and enhance national progress,” Modi said addressing the NDA meeting.

Shah described the council of ministers as “Team Modi Sarkar” and lauded them for their hard work and remarkable achievements in the last five years.

“Let us keep this momentum going for a New India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Shah said on Twitter.

The BJP reach out came on a day the opposition parties met Election Commission seeking fool-proof arrangements for the counting of votes and raising doubts over the exit poll predictions which projected them a running far behind the NDA.

Shah, who had on the last day of campaigning on Friday had expressed readiness to welcome new partners in the NDA fold, warmly greeted blow-hot-blow-cold allies such as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray.

Also in attendance were Akali Dal veteran Parkash Singh Badal, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswamy, his deputy O Panneerselvam, former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan, Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel, RPI(A) chief Ramdas Athawale.

Most of the exit polls have projected a majority for the BJP-led NDA giving the ruling alliance anywhere between 282 and 365 Lok Sabha seats.