Modi, Shah meet Union ministers to thank them for 'service to nation'

At the meeting, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, J P Nadda and Prakash Javadekar were among the key leaders present.

The meeting follows another meeting of the council of ministers called by Shah to thank them for "their service to the nation." PTI Photo

New Delhi: With the exit polls forecasting NDA's return to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met with Union ministers from the BJP as well as allies at a meeting hosted by party president Amit Shah at its headquarters in New Delhi. The BJP described the meeting as an occasion to thank ministers for "their service to the nation" ahead of the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha election on May 23. During the meeting 'Aabhar Milan' (expressing gratitude), Modi likened his campaign for this Lok Sabha election to a pilgrimage, saying it stood out from other polls as it was being fought by the people and not the party alone. "I have seen many elections but this one was beyond politics. Public was fighting them. I have campaigned in assembly elections and undertaken political tours for the party in different elections. When I toured during these polls, it seemed that I was on a pilgrimage," the prime minister was quoted by a BJP leader as saying. At the meeting, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, J P Nadda and Prakash Javadekar were among the key leaders present. Some ministers from BJP allies, including Ram Vilas Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party, Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Akali Dal and Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal, were seen. Party president Shah also hosted a dinner for BJP leaders and allies in the evening. The BJP's decision to host the dinner comes following the exit polls which have been unanimous in projecting another term for Modi. The dinner was followed by a meeting in which nearly two dozen allies facilitated Prime Minister Modi. All NDA partners came one after another and felicitated him with a shawl. Top leaders of the NDA were sitting on the dais with Modi, on whose one side was Shah and on other its was SAD's Parkash Singh Badal, the senior most leader of the alliance.

I congratulate Team Modi Sarkar for their hard work and remarkable achievements in the last 5 years.

Let us keep this momentum going for a New India under the leadership of PM @narendramodi. Sharing pictures of Aabhar Milan of Union Council of Ministers at BJP HQ, New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/X2sgvJjJ5c — Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 21, 2019

Earlier, Modi and Shah at a press conference on May 17 had exuded confidence that the saffron party-led alliance will return to power, and exit polls have furthered boosted their hopes. According to an exit poll conducted by ABP News-Nielsen on Sunday, it has been forecast that the BJP-led NDA will cross the majority mark of 277 in the 543-member Lok Sabha, five seats above the majority mark. While the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) could win 130 seats while other regional/non-aligned parties are tipped to win 135 seats. Polls have been held for 542 seats as the Election Commission had deferred the election for Vellore seat due to allegations of the use of money to influence the voting. Several BJP leaders asserted on Monday that the party will get a majority on its own, repeating the unprecedented feat it achieved in 2014 by winning 282 seats. (agency inputs)