The first meeting of leaders of the National Democratic Alliance after the election results was held at caretaker Prime Minister Narendra D Modi's residence in New Delhi on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
The meeting was attended by Bharatiya Janata Party President J P Nadda, caretaker Home Minister Amit A Shah, caretaker Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Telugu Desam Party President Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Janata Dal-United President Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, Janata Dal-Secular leader H D Kumaraswamy, Janasena Party chief Pawan Kalyan, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) MP Praful Patel among others.
Naidu and Nitish Kumar's presence at the NDA meeting is significant as the support of their parties is crucial for the BJP to form the government.
This time, the BJP fell 32 seats short of the majority mark of 272 and will need to rely on its allies to form a government.
IMAGE: Modi with Naidu and Nitish Kumar. All photographs: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Did you know that Naidu is 4 months and 28 days older than Modi?
IMAGE: Nitish and Naidu have been members of the NDA in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee era.
IMAGE: The seating arrangement was decided on number of seats won -- Naidu's TDP won 16, so he sat next to Modi. Next to him was Nitish Kumar, whose JD-U won 12 seats.
Eknath Shinde Sena's 7 seats gave the Maharashtra leader a place at the high table.
Other NDA allies sat alongside in order of number of seats won.
IMAGE: Rajnath Singh and Amit A Shah were the only two Cabinet ministers present on the podium with Nadda and Modi during Tuesday's celebrations at the BJP national headquarters.
IMAGE: Amit A Shah is being blamed in some quarters for the BJP's losses in Uttar Pradesh.
IMAGE: Caretaker Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel, who heads the Apna Dal (Soneylal) party, with Praful Patel.
IMAGE: Pawan Kalyan and Anupriya Patel.
IMAGE: Asom Gana Parishad President Atul Bora and other leaders at the NDA meeting.
IMAGE: Modi chats with Nitish Kumar who only rejoined the NDA in January. Naidu is an even more recent member of the present day NDA having being enlisted by the BJP on election eve.
IMAGE: Nadda felicitates Modi at the NDA meeting.
IMAGE: Modi plans to be sworn in as India's prime minister for a third time on Saturday, June 8. 8 is apparently a lucky number for Modi who was born on September 17, 1950.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com