Marking the arrival of a new era in Indian politics, Narendra Modi was today appointed Prime Minister, who said the elections have kindled a "new hope and aspiration" among the common man for whom he dedicated his government.
President Pranab Mukherjee handed over to him the letter appointing him as the Prime Minister and he will be sworn-in on May 26 at 6 PM. The appointment came after the 63-year-old Gujarat Chief Minister was unanimously elected leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party as well as that of NDA in a meeting that was punctuated by outpouring of emotions by "strongman" Modi who broke down for a moment.
Modi's formal ascent to the top caps the stunning electoral victory that he had secured in the Lok Sabha elections that will bring in the first non-Congress government in 30 years with absolute majority. Party patriarch L K Advani, who had opposed projection of Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate, proposed his name for the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party which was seconded by a number of leaders including Murli Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu and Nitin Gadkari. His election was received by thumping of desks in the historic Central Hall of Parliament, which reverberated to the cries of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'.
At the end of the meeting, BJP President Rajnath Singh invited the gathering of newly-elected MPs to express their approbation with a standing ovation. The NDA leaders and MPs joined the gathering immediately to elect Modi as the coalition leader and straightaway drove to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to convey to the President the election of their leader so that he can call him to form the government.
EMOTIONS RUN HIGH AS MODI ENTERS PARLIAMENT
Scenes of great camaraderie
and warm emotions were witnessed in the Central Hall of Parliament today as
prime minister-designate Narendra Modi entered it for the first time
accompanied by other NDA members who had gathered to elect him as their leader.
Three-time Gujarat Chief Minister Modi was accorded a rousing welcome by
leaders of his party as well as those belonging to the 29 NDA allies as they
reposed faith in his leadership for staking the claim to form the new
government. Emotions ran high in the BJP camp and party veteran LK Advani had
tears in his eyes, as did prime minister-elect Modi, even as the other leaders
celebrated the party's highest-ever tally since its inception. As he was about
to step foot inside Parliament, Modi bowed and touched with his forehead the
stairs at the portal in a mark of respect for the "temple of
democracy". He later hailed it for elevating a common man like him to the
highest post in the country. Clad in his trademark kurta-pyjama with full
sleeves and a vest-jacket, Modi was greeted by all and sundry. Thanking the
BJP's prime ministerial candidate for taking the party to such heights, Advani
turned emotional as he said that this historic day had come in his life due to
Modi. Moved by Advani's remarks, Modi too had tears in his eyes as he said in a
choked voice, "Advaniji ne ek shabd kahaa aur mai Advaniji se prarthna
karunga ki woh iss shabd ka istmaal na kare. Unhone kaha ki Narendra-bhai ne
kripa ki. Kya maa ki seva kabhi kripa ho sakti hai? Katay nahin ho sakti hai.
"Jaise bharat meri maa hai waise hi BJP bhi meri maa hai. Aur isliye beta
kabhi maa per kripa nahin karta, sirf samarpit bhav se maa ki sewa karta hai
(Advaniji said that I have done a favour to BJP. Like India, BJP is also my
mother. Can serving the mother be a favour? Not at all. A son is only dedicated
to serving the mother)."
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