Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said on Monday that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is preparing to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. His remarks came after the Centre's all-party meeting in Delhi ahead of the Budget Session concluded.
Athawale further said that the alliance's goal is to win more than 400 seats in the 2024 elections.
He stated that discussions are taking place about giving SC/STs reservations in promotions.
According to the union minister, the meeting also focused on how to keep the House proceedings running smoothly. The opposition's cooperation, the leader added, would be required.
A meeting of NDA floor leaders is currently taking place to strategise floor cooperation. The Budget Session, which will be heavily focused on the government's financial agenda, will be divided into two parts.
This comes after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will break all records and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will retain power with a landslide in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
It will begin with President Droupadi Murmu's address to the two Houses of Parliament in a joint session. Following the President's address, the Economic Survey will be tabled.
On February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will deliver the Union Budget. The Union Budget 2023-24 could be the final full budget before the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra concluded on Monday in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. While the Bharat Jodo Yatra may have galvanised the Congress party's ranks and improved Rahul's image, analysts and experts say the Congress party's path to the 2024 general elections remains fraught with various challenges. It remains to be seen whether the Congress can turn Yatra's clear popular support into electoral victories.
The stage is set for the approaching election in May 2024, when the Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will become the first non-Congress government to seek a third consecutive term, while opposition parties prepare to oppose it.
The BJP-led NDA made a comeback in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, forming the government for the second time in a row. The Bharatiya Janata Party won 303 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, while the National Democratic Alliance won 353 seats. The UPA led by Congress had won 91 seats, including 52 by the Congress party.