New Delhi: Narendra Modi met President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today to stake claim to form government. He will be sworn in as India's 14th Prime Minister at 6 pm on May 26, BJP president Rajnath Singh has announced.
At the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President and Mr Modi exchanged bouquets.
At the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President and Mr Modi exchanged bouquets.
Mr Singh has also met the President along with senior party leaders and also allies from the NDA like Ram Vilas Paswan and Uddhav Thackeray.
Earlier today, BJP's veteran leader LK Advani proposed the name of Mr Modi for Prime Minister and all party MPs gave their rousing endorsement, setting the stage for the takeover of a new BJP government.
"I propose Mr Modi's name as the leader of the BJP's parliamentary party," Mr Advani said. The proposal was seconded by a series of BJP leaders including MM Joshi, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari and Venkaiah Naidu, who called Mr Modi the "darling of the masses."
As he arrived for the meeting of his party MPs in Parliament, Mr Modi touched Mr Advani's feet and they embraced. They repeated the sequence after party MPs chose Mr Modi as their leader.
Mr Advani had publicly protested against Mr Modi's elevation as the BJP's election campaign chief and also his being named the party's prime ministerial candidate before Assembly elections were held last year. He had also sought to shift out of Gandhinagar in Mr Modi's Gujarat, a seat he then won five times, to contest from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. He was finally talked into changing his mind.
Mr Modi has been camped in Delhi since Sunday holding multiple meetings to finalise his cabinet and decide on what role Mr Advani and other leaders who are close to him, will have in his government. Mr Advani has reportedly expressed interest in being the Lok Sabha Speaker, a constitutional post that does not report to the PM.
On Wednesday, Mr Modi will resign as Gujarat chief minister and MLA and party legislators will elect their next chief minister.
Earlier today, BJP's veteran leader LK Advani proposed the name of Mr Modi for Prime Minister and all party MPs gave their rousing endorsement, setting the stage for the takeover of a new BJP government.
"I propose Mr Modi's name as the leader of the BJP's parliamentary party," Mr Advani said. The proposal was seconded by a series of BJP leaders including MM Joshi, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari and Venkaiah Naidu, who called Mr Modi the "darling of the masses."
As he arrived for the meeting of his party MPs in Parliament, Mr Modi touched Mr Advani's feet and they embraced. They repeated the sequence after party MPs chose Mr Modi as their leader.
Mr Advani had publicly protested against Mr Modi's elevation as the BJP's election campaign chief and also his being named the party's prime ministerial candidate before Assembly elections were held last year. He had also sought to shift out of Gandhinagar in Mr Modi's Gujarat, a seat he then won five times, to contest from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. He was finally talked into changing his mind.
Mr Modi has been camped in Delhi since Sunday holding multiple meetings to finalise his cabinet and decide on what role Mr Advani and other leaders who are close to him, will have in his government. Mr Advani has reportedly expressed interest in being the Lok Sabha Speaker, a constitutional post that does not report to the PM.
On Wednesday, Mr Modi will resign as Gujarat chief minister and MLA and party legislators will elect their next chief minister.
Narendra Modi's Top Five Quotes at BJP Meeting
1. Advani ji said Narendra Bhai has done us a favour. Please don't use the word kripa (favour). A son doesn't do a favour to his mother. A son works with dedication. I treat the BJP as my mother just as India is my mother. The party has done me a favour by giving me an opportunity to serve.
2. You can see Modi not because Modi's stature is very large. You can see Modi because the party's senior leaders have hoisted me on their shoulders.
2. You can see Modi not because Modi's stature is very large. You can see Modi because the party's senior leaders have hoisted me on their shoulders.
3. It was said I was here (in Parliament) for the first time, this keeps happening to me. I saw the (Gujarat) Vidhan Sabha after I became the chief minister.
4. A government should be one that works for the poor and this is why the new government is committed to the poor of the country and dedicated to the youth of the country as well as our mothers and daughters. The celebrations, excitement will go on but the era of responsibility has begun.
5. We did not have the good fortune of fighting for India's independence - we could not die for the country but we have been given an opportunity to live for this country. (Request Advani Ji Not to Use the Word "Kripa", Says Modi in Tears)
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