Zee Media Bureau/Ajith Vijay Kumar
New Delhi: Armed with a thumping victory in Lok Sabha polls 2014, Narendra Modi will take oath as India`s 15th Prime Minister on May 16 at 6 pm.
President Pranab Mukherjee will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Modi in presence of a select audience of around 3,000 people. The formal procedure began today when the BJP`s parliamentary party, and later the NDA, unanimously elected Modi as their leader.
An NDA delegation led by the grouping`s working chairman LK Advani and BJP president Rajnath Singh later met the President and gave him a copy of the resolution naming Modi as their leader. The BJP has support letters of 10 allies of the NDA, which takes the tally to 335 MPs. One ally - Swabimani Paksh of Maharashtra - did not have the support letter ready and will submit it later.
PM-designate Narendra Modi then met the President. "Welcome, welcome, welcome," Mukherejee said to Modi after congratulating him on his "grand victory".
Modi was given a formal letter, with the presidential seal, inviting him to form the government.
Later, a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said that “as Modi has been elected leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party and BJP has majority support in the House of the People, the President appointed him the Prime Minister of India and requested him to advise the names of members of the Council of Ministers”.
Earlier, the central hall of Parliament saw Modi get emotional. He broke down while thanking the party for all it has done for him.
"Advaniji ne ek shabd kahaa aur maine Advanji se prathnaa karonga ki woh iss shabd kaa istmaal naa kare. Unhone kahaa ki Narendra bhai ne kirpa ki. Kyaa maa ki seva kabhi kirpa ho sakti hai? katai nahin ho sakti hai. Jaise bharat meri maa hai waise hi BJP bhi meri maa hai. Aur islay beta kabhi maa per kirpa nahin karta sirf samarpit bhav se maa ki sewa karta hai (Advaniji said that I have done a favour to BJP. Like India, BJP is also my mother. Can serving the mother be a favour? Not at all. A son is only dedicated to serve the mother)," he said and broke down.
He choked and had to take water before regaining his posture.
The statesman in Modi found full flourish during his 30-minute long speech.
"The new government will dedicate itself for the poor, crores and crores of youth and for the safety and security of the mothers and sisters, those in the rural areas, oppressed and the deprived," he said.
"...by giving BJP an absolute majority they have voted for hope and trust. People have voted for hope and faith. And I will do everything to fulfil their aspirations," he said.
“There should be no room for pessimism and because with pessimism, nothing can be achieved,” he added.
But the most symbolic moment was when Narendra Modi touched his forehead on the steps of Parliament before entering its hallowed precincts.
He has promised to change India`s destiny; destiny awaits him.
