Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a mega 39-party NDA meeting in Delhi last evening, hit out at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over his “not even heard of many parties” remark. “No party is big or small in NDA,” the Prime Minister said.

“NDA is not an alliance of compulsion but of contribution. No party is big or small in this alliance,” said PM Modi, adding “BJP got the majority in 2014 and 2019 but the government was formed by the NDA”.

It was a day of big meetings. As the opposition alliance of 26 parties concluded their two-day meeting in Bengaluru, another 39-party mega meeting of the National Democratic Alliance began in Delhi.

The opposition alliance that will take on the ruling NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be called Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance – I.N.D.I.A. – said Mr Kharge after the meet.

Targetting the meeting of the BJP-led alliance, he said, “We have not even heard names of many parties”.

In a resolution passed at a meeting convened by the BJP, 39 parties repose full faith in PM Modi’s leadership to attain a bigger mandate in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls than 2019.

PM Modi slammed the new opposition front, saying alliances built on negativity have never succeeded and asserting that the NDA will return to power for a third consecutive term, bagging more than 50 per cent of the vote share.

The meeting saw the presence of a host of existing and new BJP allies as the ruling party has worked overtime in recent weeks and months to seal fresh alliances and win back those who had quit the ruling combine.