PM Modi to stake claim for govt formation after official support from NDA partners

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 240 seats on its own, 32 short of the halfway mark in the 543-member decision-making lower house. The BJP is banking on the NDA partners to form a government with 293 seats.

Modi was unanimously chosen as the leader of the alliance this afternoon, and was congratulated for his "leadership" and "strides our nation has made under him".

They also appreciated his hard work and efforts in nation-building. The NDA partners said Modi had a vision for 'Viksit Bharat', and they remain partners in this goal. They lauded his role in increasing India's status in the world.

PM Modi is set to take the oath of office on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, NDA leaders met at Modi's residence to review the election result and discuss government formation, after which a delegation of senior figures from the BJP and its NDA partners was supposed to meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan to stake claim to power.

That delegation was to include Telugu Desam Party boss Chandrababu Naidu and Janata Dal leader Nitish Kumar, whose combined 28 seats are needed to ensure the BJP's coalition government crosses the magic figure of 272 in the Lower House of the Parliament.

Naidu's TDP won 16 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh (and a simultaneous Assembly election to return as Chief Minister) and Nitish Kumar's JDU picked up 12 seats in Bihar.

Speculations are doing rounds that Naidu and Nitish Kumar could be approached by the opposition INDIA bloc, which finished with 232 seats (40 shy of majority) and is looking out for options for a government formation bid.

To offset that, the BJP has secured written letters of support from the TDP and JDU bosses.

INDIA leaders, including Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge, have been coy about reaching out to either Naidu or Nitish Kumar, but the intent is there, sources have said.

The Congress produced its best performance since 2009 to win 99 seats. In 2019 the party won only 52 seats (and Rahul Gandhi quit as boss), while it managed just 44 in 2014.