Those doubting stability of NDA 3.0 will see infighting in own camp: Ramdas Athawale's swipe at INDIA bloc

New Delhi: Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers, Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale said that BJP-led NDA enjoys a solid majority with the support of 302 members, and the opposition which is questioning alliance's stability will see fracas and defections in their camp.

Ramdas Athawale, speaking exclusively to IANS, said that the BJP-led NDA won with a majority despite the opposition's false narratives.

He stated that the opposition parties came together to defeat PM Modi and the NDA, however, their efforts went in vain as the public has given a clear mandate by electing the BJP-led NDA at the Centre.

Meanwhile, Athawale was confirmed as a minister in the Modi 3.0 Cabinet. He was invited to the 'tea party' at the Prime Minister's residence on Sunday.

Following are the excerpts from the interview:

IANS: PM Modi will take the oath for the third consecutive time. What do you have to say about this?

Ramdas Athawale: The people of the country have chosen Narendra Modi as their leader, and hence, he is taking the oath as the Prime Minister for the third time. Over the past decade, the Modi government has undertaken substantial development work. PM Modi considers the people his own family and has taken forward his vision for 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India).

Although BJP may have secured fewer seats this time due to the opposition's false narratives, including claims that the Constitution would be amended, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) still achieved a majority.

IANS: Ahead of the oath-taking ceremony, PM Modi invited members of the NDA to a tea party at his residence. What do you have to say about this?

Ramdas Athawale: I received a call this morning from BJP National President J. P. Nadda who informed me about the invitation and my inclusion in the list of the Council of Ministers.

We attended the 'Chai pe charcha' (discussion over tea), where we discussed the development of India, ensuring justice for all, and strengthening the NDA and the nation.

PM Modi also laid down his 100-day agenda and also the roadmap on how to fulfil the ministerial duties. We will take the oath today at Rashtrapati Bhavan, and starting tomorrow, we will begin work in the respective ministries that we are assigned.

IANS: The opposition is alleging that the NDA government is not stable and will not be able to complete the five-year term. What do you have to say?

Ramdas Athawale: In 2014 and 2019, we had coalition governments, and even in 2024, it remains a coalition government. The NDA achieved a clear majority with 292 seats, and additional allies have joined us, bringing the total to 302 seats.

To those who doubt the stability of our government, I would like to point out that many of their members may end up joining us because they will realise that Congress has misled the public.

Congress made some of its bitter political rivals into allies. It joined ranks with its political rivals like the Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party to hurt the NDA. All of them united solely to defeat PM Modi but failed miserably.

Defeating the NDA and PM Modi is not an easy task; it is, in fact, impossible. The BJP-led NDA government is here to stay and will continue its work for a full five-year term.