The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is all set to meet in the national capital on Wednesday, when the double N-factor of Nitish Kumar and N. Chandrababu Naidu, who sailed the alliance across the magic figure, will also be present.
The meeting called a day after the Lok Sabha Election 2024 results were announced will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to chalk out the next strategy of government formation.
The BJP fell short of the 272 halfway mark that would have given it full majority in the 545-member Lok Sabha.
Both Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu besides Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde will be present at the NDA meet.
The BJP, which was seeking a third consecutive term in office and a third straight single-party majority, won only 240 seats, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). NDA’s overall tally stands at 292.
The PM Modi-led BJP is now critically dependent on its allies for government formation.
In 2019, the BJP won 303 seats on its own and the NDA got 353 seats. In 2014, the saffron party got 282 seats and the NDA 336.
Janta Dal United-led by Nitish Kumar this time secured 12 seats in Bihar, while Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP bagged 16 seats in Andhra Pradesh, and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP, together won 17 seats in Maharashtra.
Another NDA ally Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan said his party will also take part in the meeting.
Meanwhile, a photo of Nitish Kumar on the same flight with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav purportedly taken Wednesday morning has gone viral on social media.
The Bihar CM was convenor of INDIA bloc till early this year, when just ahead of the general elections he changed ship and rejoined the NDA fold.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress, Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), CPIM among others are part of the INDIA bloc, who will also meet in Delhi today.