Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a new meaning to NDA or National Democratic Alliance while addressing a conclave of the ruling coalition in New Delhi.
He said that 'NDA means N=New India, D=Development, A=Aspiration'
"NDA is a beautiful rainbow of regional aspirations... So nation's development through the development of states... At a time when we are working for a developed India, NDA is taking the lead in showing the spirit of 'sabka prayas'," he said.
Modi said there has been a long tradition of political alliances in the country but whichever alliance was formed on the basis of negativity, it never succeeded.
"In the 1990s, the Congress in order to bring instability in the country used alliances. They formed governments and pulled down governments. The NDA was formed in this period in 1998...It was not formed against anybody or to remove anyone from power, but it was formed to bring stability to the country," the prime minister said.
He asserted that when there is a stable government, decisions that change the direction of the nation are taken.
"We saw it during Atal (Bihari Vajpayee) ji's tenure and we are seeing this in the last nine years. Due to a stable government, the confidence of the world in India has increased," he said.
"When we were in opposition also, we did constructive politics and did not indulge in negative politics. We opposed the government and brought to the fore their scams but we never disrespected the mandate. To oppose governments, we never sought foreign help," Modi said.
He said that even when it was in the opposition, the NDA never posed roadblocks in the development of the country.
Modi said many opposition governments do not allow central schemes to be implemented in their states, and if implemented, they are not allowed to gather pace.
"When an alliance is formed due to compulsion of power, when an alliance is with the intention of corruption, when an alliance is based on dynastic politics when an alliance is formed keeping in mind casteism and regionalism, then that alliance is very harmful to the country," Modi said.
Thirty-eight parties are part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and as their leaders reached the venue earlier, they were welcomed with flower bouquets and stoles amid dhol beats.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi was welcomed by BJP president J P Nadda, Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Jitan Ram Manjhi.
(With PTI inputs)