NDA meet: Ours is a time-tested alliance, says Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said all NDA partners attending the meeting in Delhi is a matter of "immense joy" and described the bloc as a time-tested Alliance.

Total 38 parties will be attending the National Democratic Alliance meeting in Delhi on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Modi was welcomed by BJP president JP Nadda, Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK leader K Palaniswami and Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio.

He tweeted, "It is a matter of immense joy that our valued NDA partners from across India will be attending the meeting in Delhi today. Ours is a time-tested alliance which seeks to further national progress and fulfil regional aspirations."

Union minister Pralhad Joshi and BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde welcomed the leaders, from the BJP as well as allies, who arrived at the venue of the meeting.

This will be the first such meeting of the National Democratic Alliance during the second term of the Modi government.

It underscores the ruling party's focus on highlighting its ability to make alliances at a time when opposition parties were coming together to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The meeting coincides with the mega opposition conclave in Bengaluru and is seen as a show of strength by the ruling party.

The opposition alliance that will take on the ruling NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be called Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and an 11-member committee will be set up for coordination, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Tuesday.

Addressing a joint press conference after a meeting of 26 opposition parties in Bengaluru, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said they have decided to prepare an action plan where they will talk about their ideology and programmes.

"The fight is against the ideology of the BJP and their thinking, they are attacking the country, unemployment is rampant, and the country's wealth is being taken away from millions and handed over in the hands of a few," Gandhi said.

(With inputs from PTI)