BJP leader Narendra Modi was on Saturday appointed Prime Minister-elect by President Ram Nath Kovind, who also asked him to form the new government.
After the BJP and the National Democratic Allianceunanimously elected him as their leader, Modi reached the Rashtrapati BhavanSaturday night to stake claim to form the next government.
Modi later told reporters at the forecourts of RashtrapatiBhavan that President Kovind has appointed him prime minister-elect and askedhim to form the new government.
The outgoing Union council of ministers had tendered itsresignation on Friday night and Kovind had asked Modi to continue as caretakerPM.
After the NDA returned to power with a massive majority,Modi becoming the prime minister again was a foregone conclusion.
Earlier, Modi was unanimously elected leader of the BJP-ledNational Democratic Alliance on Saturday at a meeting attended by its newlyelected MPs and senior leaders in Parliament’s Central Hall.
“Modi is elected the leader of the parliamentary partyof 353 MPs unanimously,” BJP president Amit Shah announced after theelection as Modi acknowledged the support and cheers from MPs.
Top alliance leaders, including JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar, ShivSena’s Uddhav Thackeray and Akali Dal’s Parkash Singh Badal, extended theirparty’s support after Modi was elected as the leader of the BJP parliamentaryparty at first.
Senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi werepresent on the dais with other alliance leaders.
Shah proposed Modi’s name and former party presidentsRajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari seconded the proposal.
Modi’s election was a mere formality as the NDA had alreadydeclared him the alliance’s prime ministerial candidate.He has led the NDA to a landslide win in thegeneral election, with the BJP winning 303 seats, its highest ever, and itsallies 50.