"No ally of NDA will shift loyalties, rumours are being spread": Ramdas Athawale

New Delhi: Amid a battle between the INDIA bloc and NDA after the declaration of results, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said on Wednesday that no ally of the NDA will shift loyalties and Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu have faith in PM Modi.
"People have given the responsibility of forming the government of NDA under the leadership of PM Modi. We got 292 seats and the number required to form the government is 272. No ally of the NDA will shift loyalties, rumours are being spread," Athawale said.
"Be it Nitish Kumar or Chandrababu Naidu, all of them have faith in PM Modi and we will move forward together," he asserted.
Further, he mentioned that in the NDA meeting being held today at the Prime Minister's house, they will support the candidature of Narendra Modi for the PM post.
"In the Union cabinet meeting, we discussed works done by the government under the leadership of PM Modi. A unanimous decision was taken by the Union cabinet to support PM Modi. In the NDA meeting, we will support the candidature of Narendra Modi for the post of Prime Minister," he said.
Nitish Kumar also arrived in Delhi to attend the NDA meeting.
"Sarkar toh ab banegi hi (the government will be formed)," he told reporters.
INDIA bloc leaders will hold a meeting today at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence to discuss the formation of the central government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured a third term, but the BJP failed to secure the majority on its own like in the 2014 and 2019 parliamentary elections and needs the support of other parties in NDA, primarily JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu.
Both Naidu and Nitish have affirmed their support for the NDA government.
However, speculations are rife that the INDIA bloc is trying to woo some of the NDA allies to spring a surprise.