Modi named Prime Minister; invited to form government

New Delhi, May 25 (IANS): A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi tendered resignation of his Council of Ministers, President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday invited him to form the next government.

“Exercising powers vested in him under Article 75 (1) of the Constitution, the President on Saturday appointed Narendra Modi to the office of Prime Minister of India,” a communique from Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

The President also asked Modi to intimate him about the names of others to be appointed members of the Union Council of Ministers and indicate the date and time of the swearing-in ceremony to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Modi was formally invited when he called on the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday evening in his capacity as leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party, which has majority support in the Lok Sabha following the general election.

A delegation of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah and senior leaders Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, and Nitin Gadkari, Akali Dal’s Parkash Singh Badal, Janata Dal-United chief Nitish Kumar, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thakeray, AIADMK’s K. Palaniswami, NPP’s Conrad Sangma and NDPP’s Neiphiu Rio also accompanied Modi.

“A letter stating that Narendra Modi has been elected leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party was handed over to the President. Letters of support from NDA constituent parties were also handed over to the President,” said the communique.

Modi elected NDA parliamentary party leader

Narendra Modi was elected the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parliamentary party at a function in Central Hall of Parliament on Saturday.

“I am happy to announce that the BJP parliamentary party has unanimously elected Narendra Modi as its leader,” BJP President Amit Shah announced.

Veteran Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal moved the resolution to elect Modi as the leader of the NDA parliamentary party.

The resolution was supported by Janata Dal-United (JD-U) President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders of the NDA.

“Modiji has been unanimously elected leader by the 353 NDA members. I thank all the newly elected members and congratulate Narendra Modi for his election,” Shah said. Chief Ministers of various NDA-ruled states were present among others.

Rio extends unanimous support

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who also attended the function, declared the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party’s “unanimous support” to elect Narendra Modi as the prime minister of India as well as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance.

His Meghalaya counterpart, and the president of National People’s Party, Conrad Sangma also expressed similar support.