Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party Leader N Chandrababu Naidu, referred to as the ‘kingmakers’ following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s underwhelming performance in the Lok Sabha elections, have strongly suggested their support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bid to establish his third government at the Centre.
Nitish Kumar, after arriving in the national capital to participate in the National Democratic Alliance’s meeting, said the government will be formed. “Sarkar toh ab banegi hi.”(Government will form only now)
Kumar’s close confidant, KC Tyagi, a prominent leader of the Janata Dal-United (JDU), expressed unequivocal support for the BJP-led government, emphasizing their strong alliance and commitment to collaborative governance.
He said, “This is just rumormongering. We are a part of the NDA, and we have contested elections under PM Modi’s leadership. Nitish Kumar is in Delhi, and he will be submitting the letter in which JD(U) has proposed Narendra Modi as PM.”
Before leaving for Delhi, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu reaffirmed his commitment to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), expressing his continued support and solidarity with the coalition. “You always want news. I am experienced and I have seen several political changes in this country. We are in NDA; I’m going to the NDA meeting. In course of time, we will report it.”
The BJP secured 240 seats in the Lok Sabha, falling short of the majority mark by 32 seats. Initially aiming for 350 to 400 seats, the party must now seek support from its allies to form a government.
In contrast, the INDIA bloc surpassed expectations, winning over 230 seats despite exit polls dismissing its chances. With the gap between the two groups narrowing, the INDIA bloc has allegedly reached out to BJP’s allies for potential collaboration.
In the meantime, Sanjay Raut, a leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), expressed that Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar would not align with a dictator, following his party’s surprising victory of 9 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
Raut said, “They have to decide whether they want to go with an autocrat and work in a democratic system. I don’t think they will go with an autocrat.”
He asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not be able to establish a government for the third term. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) secured 16 seats, while Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) won 12 seats in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively.