New Delhi: Setting their sight on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, top NDA leaders today pledged to work unitedly to win a second term under prime minister Narendra Modi and asserted his "strong" leadership was required for India's progress.
Leaders of 33 NDA constituents also adopted a resolution endorsing Modi's leadership and his government's policies, while resolving to strengthen the alliance by expanding its base, finance minister Arun Jaitley told reporters.
Replying to a question as to whether presidential election also came up for discussion, Jaitley said, "It was not on the agenda."
Replying to an identical question, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said NDA partners will collectively take a call on that whenever the issue was deliberated upon.
Both Jaitley and Naidu unanimously identified "clean and corruption-free governance" provided by the Modi dispensation as its biggest achievement.
All NDA constituents hailed the performance of the Modi government, especially the leadership of the prime minister, Jaitley told reporters.
Union minister and LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan put forth a proposal for fighting the upcoming Lok Sabha election under Modi and expanding the NDA's base across the country. The proposal was accepted unanimously, Jaitley added.
"The NDA allies also passed a resolution to work together to win a second term under the strong leadership of prime minister Modi in 2019," he said.
The minister said the ruling alliance has expanded its support base in the last three years during which its popularity and acceptability have also gone up.
Echoing similar sentiments, Naidu said, "India will be the only country which will have double digit growth and this is only possible under the leadership of prime minister Modi."
The Andhra Pradesh chief minister said the NDA allies are committed to working in tandem to win the 2019 elections under Modi's leadership.