Narendra Modi to be sworn in as 14th Prime Minister of India on May 26
Modi cried while addressing party MPs in Parliament, said 'you have done me favour'
New Delhi: Narendra Modi, who steered BJP and the NDA to a landslide victory in the Lok Sabha elections, was on Tuesday appointed Prime Minister, ushering in a new era of a non-Congress government with an absolute majority on its own in 30 years.
Modi met President Pranab Mukherjee a little after 3 pm Tuesday as the next step in forming the government. The Bharatiya Janata Party then announce Modi would be sowrn in as Prime minister at 6 pm on May 26. Mukherjee congratulated Modi on his party's win and invited him to be Prime Minister. Modi will be sworn in at 6 pm on May 26.
A Rashtrapati communique said the President asked Modi to suggest names of his ministers to be sworn in on May 26.
"I came to call on the President. The President has given me a formal letter (of appointment as the PM) and has invited me for oath-taking ceremony on May 26 at 6 pm as we had earlier decided," Modi told the media emerging from the meeting with the President Pranab Mukherjee.
While entering the Parliament earlier in the day, Modi bent and kissed the steps of Parliament in a mark of respect as he arrived for a meeting of the party's newly elected lawmakers. Veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani suggested Modi's name for the Parliamentary Party leader's post, and MPs gave their approval by thumping desks and raising slogans.
BJP President Rajnath Singh described the occasion as historic, because an opposition party has won a majority on its own for the first time in India's 543-seat Lok Sabha -- the more powerful lower house of Parliament.
During his 30-minute speech, the Prime Minister-designate said the results was a vote for "new hope and aspiration" and he would try his best to live up to the expectations of the people of the country.
During his acceptance speech, 63-year-old Modi broke down when he recounted that L K Advani's had said he did a "favour" to the party by taking up the responsibility.
"Can serving the mother be a favour? A son is only dedicated to serve the mother... The favour has been done by the party," he said addressing the newly-elected MPs of the party in the historic Central Hall of Parliament.
Modi fought back tears during this rare show of emotion, keeping his bowed for several moments while he collected himself. Other BJP figures could be seen weeping.
"I accept the responsibility you have reposed in me. You will never get an opportunity to look down on what my government will do." Modi's election took place at the Central Hall of Parliament. The election is an important formality before Modi approaches President Pranab Mukherjee for formation of his government.
Advani said Modi was a "popular" and "famous" leader and he was happy to propose his name. Joshi seconded the proposal with a sense of "pride" and "joy". Swaraj hoped that Modi will be a "famous" Prime Minister.
After the election, Modi said the recent election result had increased people's faith in democracy and there is a "new hope" among people that this dispensation can fulfill their aspirations.
Committing his government to all sections of the society, particularly the youth, women and poor, he said, "I want to assure the people of the country that there is no need for pessimism going by the past bad experience... I am a very optimistic man and only an optimistic man can bring optimism in the country."
"I will try to live up to expectations of people," he said and promised to present report card to people in 2019.
Referring to the outgoing UPA government, Modi said he did not believe that the Manmohan Singh dispensation did nothing for the welfare of the people. "They did whatever they could. They deserve appreciation for whatever good they did," he said.
In his address, the Prime Minister-elect observed that a hung verdict would have meant anger against the previous government but the clear verdict was a reflection of people's trust in BJP.
"People voted for hope and aspirations," Modi said to the thunderous applause. Modi described BJP's victory a result of struggle of "five generations" of party leaders.
He said: "I said this earlier and I say it again: that 125 crore (1.25 billion) Indians' hopes and aspirations are embedded in this temple of democracy," he said, later recalling his humble origins and the country's independence fighters.
He said "the common man has got renewed self-confidence and faith in democracy" after the victory last Friday by the BJP, which won the first overall majority by a single party since 1984.
"For rural areas, farmers, dalits (low castes), weak and the pained, this government is for them. To meet their aspirations and hopes, this is our responsibility because our weakest, poorest have sent us here," he said.
"I am a very optimistic man; only optimistic man can bring optimism in the country," he said.
Modi said his government will dedicate itself for the "poor, crores and crores of youth and for the safety and security of the mothers and sisters, those in the rural areas, oppressed and the deprived".
Hailing India's democracy, Modi said his elevation to the high post is a reflection of how a common man could aspire and achieve big goals.
"A new hope has arisen in the common man. This is the biggest significance of this election results. At the end of the day for whom is the government? It is for the poor," he said.
Invoking former PM and BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Modi said it would have been an icing on the cake had the ailing leader been present among them today.
As BJP leaders clapped and cheered, he said an era of responsibility has begun as people had high expectations from them.
During his acceptance speech, 63-year-old Modi broke down when he referred to L K Advani's mention that he had done favour to the party by taking up the responsibility.
"Can serving the mother be a favour? A son is only dedicated to serve the mother... The favour has been done by the party," he said addressing the newly-elected MPs of the party in the historic Central Hall of Parliament.
Referring to his humble background, Modi said it was an ode to Indian democracy and its founding fathers that he was standing there, all set to be the new PM.
He asked party MPs to work with all purity not for designations but for the people of the country. "We are here in the temple of democracy. We will work with all purity... not for the designation but the people of the country. Work and responsibility are the biggest things."
Recalling his hectic campaign, he said every speck of his body and every moment of his time was dedicated to fulfil the responsibility BJP had given by making him its Prime Ministerial candidate on September 13 last year.
Modi said he reported to party president Rajnath Singh after the campaigning for the elections was over on May 10 and will similarly report to MPs, party and the country about the work of his government in 2019.
"I want to assure people that there is no need for pessimism and they should not go by the past bad experience. The country has huge potential. If all countrymen take one step, the nation can move forward by 125 crore steps," he said.
It was for the first time he entered the Central Hall of Parliament and he recalled that he had seen the CM's office and a state Assembly for the first time after he was made Gujarat CM in 2001.
Modi elected NDA leader:
Constituents of the 29-party NDA today chose Narendra Modi as their leader hailing him as "strong" personality with "extraordinary capabilities" under whom the country will prosper and attain a major stature in the world.
In his brief acceptance speech, Modi said even though BJP got a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha polls, NDA allies will be as important for hiim as they would have been without it.
Gathered in the historic Central Hall of Parliament, leaders of NDA constituents, including TDP, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, LJP and Nagaland Peoples' Front, praised Modi stewardship and reposed confidence in him. Haryana Janhit Party chief Kuldeep Singh Bishnoi was conspicuous by his absence.
TDP chief and former NDA convenor Chandrababu Naidu said under Modi's Prime Ministership, India will find a place among the world powers with "real competition" being with the US and China.
"In this nation building activity, we are one partner with Narendra Modi. We extend on behalf of TDP all cooperation for his great job in cleaning the country and also developing the nation," he said.
"I have seen so many leaders, but his determination, and also enthusiasm in doing things is extraordinary," he said.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, while expressing his party's support, said for 25 years, it has just been a struggle for the BJP-led alliance and now "good days have commenced".
LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan said the "miracle" of NDA getting so many seats in the Lok Sabha polls was possible only because Modi was projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate.
He said the responsibility was "not a garland of flowers but a crown of thorns" and it was important to deliver on promises in a time-bound manner.
Revive the economy:
Later Tuesday, Modi met President Pranab Mukherjee with a delegate of NDA leaders to inform him of his intention to form an administration and then travel to Gujarat, where he will resign after 13 years in power.
The BJP, elected on promises to revive the economy, is expected to steer India sharply towards the right after a decade in power by the left-leaning Congress party, which has dominated India since independence in 1947.
The Indian Express newspaper reported Tuesday that Modi's office had already written to senior bureaucrats asking them to prepare presentations to explain their work and any problems they had encountered.
The new government is expected to focus initially on trying to remove bottlenecks that have seen many industrial and infrastructure projects stalled for lack of clearances.
The make-up of the new cabinet remains shrouded in secrecy, but reports suggest lawyer and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley is the frontrunner for the finance portfolio, while BJP president Rajnath Singh could get the home ministry.