PM Modi takes a dig at new Oppn front INDIA: 'Alliances built on negative perception always fail'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a dig at the opposition parties and said that alliances built on negative perceptions always fail. Addressing the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) meeting in New Delhi, the Prime Minister said: "In our country, there has been a long history of political coalitions, but any coalition that was built on negativity was never successful." 

PM Modi's remarks come just hours after the opposition parties, which met for the second time in Bengaluru, named its new alliance INDIA, which is an acronym for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. After the new alliance's name was announced, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked the BJP-led NDA if it can challenge INDIA. "NDA, can you challenge INDIA?" she asked. 

Modi said that for the NDA, it is nation first, security of the nation first, progress first, and empowerment of people first. "Even when we were in the opposition, we always did positive politics. In opposition, we brought out scams of the then governments but, never insulted the mandate of the people. We never took the help of foreign powers against the ruling governments. We never created hurdles in development schemes meant for the country," he said. 

The Prime Minister also explained what NDA stands for: "NDA means N=New India, D=Development, A=Aspiration."

"Hamare liye gathbandhan majboori nahi majbooti ka madhyam hai. NDA is not the symbol of coalition and compulsion but the symbol of coalition and contribution. In NDA, no party is small or big. We all are walking together towards the same goal," the Prime Minister said. 

Prime Minister Modi said in politics, there can be competitiveness but not enmity. "Unfortunately, today opposition has made it its identity to abuse us. We always kept India above all political interests. It is the NDA government that conferred Bharat Ratna on Pranab da. NDA also conferred the Padma award on Sharad Pawar, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Muzaffar Baig, and many other leaders who were not with BJP-NDA. We always kept India above all political interests."

Modi also sounded confident that the NDA will return to power in 2024. He said the NDA's vote share was 38 per cent in 2014 and 45 per cent in 2019. "In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, NDA's vote share will be above 50 per cent because of its allies who are working hard."