EYING a big show of strength by the National Democratic Alliance, BJP President J P Nadda said on Monday that 38 parties have confirmed their participation in its meeting and slammed the Opposition leaders’ unity efforts as a “selfish” exercise to protect themselves from action in cases of corruption of over Rs 20 lakh crore. “The NDA will resolve that the country will again elect its Government under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. The country has decided that...,” Nadda told a press conference a day before the ruling alliance and the Opposition parties hold their meetings as their campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls gather pace.

 

The NDA meeting will be held in Delhi on Tuesday evening, while the two-day meeting of 26 Opposition parties got underway in Bengaluru on Monday evening. Nadda said that the NDA is underpinned by the ideology of national interest and people’s welfare by taking along all sections of society, as he hit out at the Opposition parties as a coalition which has neither leader nor any intent or policy or the strength to take a decision. It has been cobbled together with a selfish motive to protect these leaders from cases of corruption of more than Rs 20 lakh crore during the UPA Government, he said. This is just a good photo opportunity, he added. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power between 2004 and 2014. Nadda said, the NDA has expanded due to its welfare policies and decision taken in the interest of the country drawing more and more people and parties into its fold. To a question on whether the BJP’s former allies such as the Akali Dal and the Telugu Desam Party will also join the NDA, he said it is up to them and claimed that the decision to leave the alliance with his party was theirs.

 

The BJP never asked them to go, he said. The BJP President also lashed out at the Congress for its suggestion that the ruling party was bringing together its allies due to the unity exercise in opposition ranks. The NDA just completed its 25 years of existence, he said, mocking Congress leaders for their “ignorance”. Lauding the Modi Government, he said that under its direct benefit transfer scheme, Rs 28 lakh crore has been credited into bank accounts of beneficiaries of several welfare schemes and a possible leakage of Rs 4-5 lakh crore has been plugged. Besides, the usage of digital tools has increased in governance, bringing transparency, he added. He said, “The world economy is facing global headwinds. Despite this, IMF has said that India has a stable economy. According to Morgan Stanley, India is the fastest growing economy and it’s a key driver for Asia and global growth. In the last nine years, we have witnessed PM Modi’s strong leadership. A positive environment has surged in the country and a common citizen feels proud.”