PM Modi meets President Murmu, stakes claim to form government

NEW DELHI: After being elected unanimously as the leader of the NDA at its parliamentary party meet on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Later, President Murmu, exercising powers vested in her under Article 75(1) of the Constitution, appointed Modi as PM designate.

The President requested Modi to advise her about the names of the others to be appointed as members of the Union Council of Ministers and indicate the date and time of the swearing-in ceremony to be held at Rashtrapti Bhawan. Modi, after coming out of the meeting with the President, told the media that he proposed the evening of June 9 as a suitable date for the swearing-in.

He said that India has emerged as Vishwabhandhu (brother of the world) and the NDA government’s next five years will further enhance the country’s global image.

“As NDA partners have trusted me with their leadership once again, I will take oath as the PM on June 9. The NDA-III will put in even more efforts for the development of India and realisation of people’s aspirations,” he said.

“I assure the country that at the pace with which the country has progressed in the last two terms, change is visible in every sphere of society,” he said. He said that the 18th Lok Sabha is infused with youthful energy. “This was the first election after the Amrit Mahotsava of Independence. In a way, these are the 25 years of Amrit Kaal,” he said.

Meanwhile, the President’s secretariat through an official communique said that a delegation of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by JP Nadda, President, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), called on the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 2.30 PM and handed over a letter stating that Narendra Modi has been elected as leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party. It said that the letters of support from NDA constituent parties were also handed over to the President.

The other members of the delegation were Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Dr CN Manjunath from the BJP; N Chandrababu Naidu from the Telugu Desam Party; Nitish Kumar, Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) and Sanjay Jha from the Janata Dal (United); Eknath Shinde from the Shiv Sena; HD Kumaraswamy from the Janata Dal (Secular); Chirag Paswan from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas); Jitan Ram Manjhi from the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular); Pawan Kalyan from the Janasena; Ajit Pawar from the Nationalist Congress Party; Anupriya Patel from the Apna Dal (Soneylal); Jayant Chaudhary from the Rashtriya Lok Dal; Joyanta Basumatary from the United People’s Party Liberal; Atul Bora from the Asom Gana Parishad; Indra Hang Subba from the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha; Sudesh Mahto, Chandra Prakash Choudhary from the All Jharkhand Students Union and Ramdas Athawale from the Republican Party of India.

The President, having satisfied herself on the basis of the various letters of support received, that the BJP-led NDA alliance, which is also the largest pre-election alliance, is in a position to command majority support of the newly constituted 18th Lok Sabha and to form a stable government, appointed Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India, added the communique.