After the Lok Sabha election 2024 results, discussions among the NDA and INDIA parties intensified. On the following Wednesday, Sanjay Raut, a Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena leader, expressed his views, highlighting that Narendra Modi’s ability to manage a coalition government might not be his strongest suit. Despite Modi’s previous emphasis on a government under his leadership, the BJP seeks to establish a coalition. Sanjay Raut states that Modi preferred to boast about ‘Modi’s government’ and ‘Modi’s guarantee’. Key NDA allies, Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu, who were part of the election fray, seem inclined to join the coalition but have presented their conditions to the incoming NDA administration.
The INDIA coalition has convened a meeting in New Delhi for its members. Sanjay Raut and Uddhav Thackeray, representing the UBT Sena that showed a strong performance in Maharashtra, are set to attend. Raut criticized the BJP’s lack of a clear majority and their efforts to ally, cautioning against supporting parties that could endanger democracy and the constitution. He noted that both Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar had maintained a neutral stance, making them allies to all.
The following steps of the INDIA alliance remain uncertain as RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav adopted a ‘wait and watch’ approach, coincidentally travelling to New Delhi with Nitish Kumar. This suspense is also felt among other opposition leaders, including Sanjay Raut, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, MK Stalin, Champai Soren, Akhilesh Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee, Sitaram Yechury, and D Raja.
Amid these political manoeuvres, Narendra Modi met with President Droupadi Murmu to tender his and his ministers’ resignations, preparing for the next government’s formation. The President has accepted their resignations, asking Modi and his team to serve until the new administration is in place. According to sources, Modi’s swearing-in ceremony for his third term is anticipated to occur on June 8.