News Brief
All NDA Chief Ministers, Deputy CMs To Assemble In Chandigarh Today With PM Modi For Key Conclave Ahead Of Maharashtra, Jharkhand Polls
Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu, PM Narendra Modi and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar
In a bid to maintain momentum following Bharatiya Janata Party's huge win in Haryana, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has planned a gathering of chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of the coalition in Chandigarh on Thursday (17 October).
This meeting is set to follow Nayab Singh Saini’s second swearing-in as Haryana’s chief minister.
The meeting, which comes ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections, will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Key figures such as Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP President JP Nadda will also be present.
While the agenda includes discussions on India's progress and commemorating the Constitution, a key focus will be the "50th anniversary of the attempt to murder democracy," a pointed reference to the Emergency, aimed at the Congress and the INDI Alliance.
The BJP, with its 13 chief ministers and 16 deputy chief ministers, will be joined by chief ministers from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Nagaland, and Meghalaya, who are from other NDA parties.
A BJP statement said that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio will also "lead discussions."
"Deliberations in this meeting will cover a structured agenda covering national development issues. It will also discuss subjects like the observance of Samvidhan Ka Amrut Mahotsav and the year of the 50th anniversary of the attempt to murder democracy," the statement said.
According to BJP insiders cited in an NDTV report, the date was carefully selected to send a message to the Scheduled Caste community, whose support had reportedly shifted towards the INDI Alliance during the Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP failed to secure a majority for the first time in a decade, winning just 240 seats.
The Congress, with its focus on the Constitution and claims that the BJP aimed for 400 MPs to amend it and "end reservations", increased its tally to 99 seats, while the INDI Alliance collectively secured 234 seats.
The Opposition’s strategy initially appeared successful in Haryana, reducing the BJP to five out of 10 Lok Sabha seats, compared to its complete sweep in 2019.
However, by the time the Assembly elections were held, the tide had turned.
Defying exit polls and countering anti-incumbency sentiment, the BJP achieved not just a third consecutive win but its strongest performance yet in the state.
BJP leaders said the Haryana elections were proof that the Scheduled Caste vote had returned to the party and the date of the swearing-in honours that.
Dalit voters are expected to play a significant role in the Maharashtra elections, which present a challenge for the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP coalition, though the Haryana win has somewhat boosted their prospects.
