An emotionally charged Narendra Modi on Tuesday said people have voted for "new hope and aspiration" and he would try his best to live up to their expectations after he was unanimously elected the leader of the BJP parliamentary party.
He expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the party and specially thanked party patriarch LK Advani and president Rajnath Singh for giving him their "blessings".
"We are here in the temple of democracy. We will work with all purity... not for the designation but for the people of the country. Work and responsibility are the biggest things," Modi told the gathering.
Referring to his humble background, Modi said it was an ode to Indian democracy and its founding fathers that he was standing there, all set to be the new PM.
"Today I'm standing before you as the son of a poor man. This is the strength of democracy."
Modi said the recent election result had increased people's faith in democracy and there is a "new hope" among people that this dispensation can fulfill their aspirations.
"The new government will dedicate itself for the poor, crores and crores of youth and for the safety and security of the mothers and sisters, those in the rural areas, oppressed and the deprived," he said.
"I will try to live up to expectations of people," he said and promised to present a report card of his government to the people in 2019.
"This is the time for new hope and strength." Modi said in 2019 he will meet the MPs again with a report card.
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Referring to the nature of the verdict, he said if it had been a hung or a fractured verdict then one can say that people had vented their anger against the government and that it was anti-establishment.
"But by giving BJP an absolute majority they have voted for hope and trust. People have voted for hope and faith. and I will do everything to fulfil their aspirations," he said, adding that he is a man full of optimism.
"I want to assure the people of the country that there is no need for pessimism going by the past bad experience... I am a very optimistic man and only an optimistic man can bring optimism in the country."
During his 30-minute acceptance speech, 63-year-old Modi broke down when he referred to LK Advani's mention that he had done a favour to the party by taking up the responsibility.
"Can serving the mother be a favour? A son is only dedicated to serve the mother... The favour has been done by the party," he said addressing the newly-elected MPs of the party in the historic Central Hall of Parliament.
The PM-to be also took the opportunity to praise the work of the past governments, saying every government and its leaders have contributed to the welfare of the country and he will carry forward whatever good they have done.
He also invoked former PM and BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee saying it would have been an icing on the cake had the ailing leader been present among them.
Modi, who led the saffron party to a spectacular victory in the Lok Sabha elections, was earlier elected as the leader amid chants of "Bharat Mata ki jai" and a standing ovation.
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BJP president Singh announced Modi as the leader of the BJP parliamentary board after Advani proposed the name of "popular" and "famous" leader.
"This is a historic moment in the politics of India," said Rajnath Singh.
Murli Manohar Joshi seconded the proposal with a sense of "pride" and "joy" and Sushma Swaraj hoped that Modi will be a "famous" prime minister.
Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu and Nitin Gadkari also supported the proposal for electing Modi.
Advani, who embraced Modi after he was chosen as the leader of BJP parliamentary party, got emotional as he greeted the Gujarat strongman.
New government
The election was an important formality before Modi approached President Pranab Mukherjee to stake claim to form the new government.
According to reports, Mukherjee congratulated Modi and invited him to form the government.
Before that, a 15-member delegation of the NDA, led by Advani, called on Mukherjee on Tuesday afternoon to convey to him that Modi has been elected as the leader of the alliance.
The NDA delegation comprised of BJP president Singh and senior party leaders Advani and Joshi.
Leaders from alliance partners included Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh, TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray, LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan and Neiphu Rio of Naga People's Front.
Other BJP leaders who were part of the NDA delegation included Swaraj, Jaitley, Naidu, Gadkari, Ananth Kumar and TC Gehlot.
After the meeting, BJP chief Singh told reporters that the Modi government will be sworn-in on May 26. ?
According to reports, as the race for key posts in the Modi government intensified the BJP president may get the home portfolio while Arun Jaitley could be the new finance minister.
Reports also said that Joshi could be chosen as the defence minister and Advani could be asked to guide the party.
Amid a flurry of meetings, Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar also paid a visit to Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, hectic consultations were on in the BJP for the second consecutive day ahead of the government formation in New Delhi. A stream of leaders met Modi, Singh and senior RSS functionaries.
Swaraj, who is tipped to be one of the four top ministers of the next government, reportedly conveyed her readiness to work in a "respectable position" in his team.
The PM-designate, however, has not revealed anything about who his cabinet colleagues will be.
"He is hearing everyone out and will make his mind known at the right time," a BJP leader considered close to Modi said.
Highlights from BJP's parliamentary party meet:
• This is a historic moment for us and Indian politics, says Rajnath Singh
• Modi has said he has never entered Parliament as a CM, says Rajnath Singh
• Party had decided right in the beginning about the the leader of the party, says LK Advani
• It's important to remember this hall as it is where we first met after Independence, says LK Advani
• I propose Narendra Modi as the leader of the parliamentary party of the BJP, says LK Advani
• This is a historic moment in politics, I second Advani's proposal to have Modi as the next PM, says Murli Manohar Joshi
• Feel proud to second the name of Modi, as proposed by LK Advani as the PM of the country, says Venkaiah Naidu
• Modi is the darling of the country, I feel proud to second his name, says Venkaiah Naidu
• The future of this country will change in the hands of Narendra Modi, says Nitin Gadkari
• With great honour and pride I back LK Advani's proposal to make Modi the next PM of India, says Ravi Shankar Prasad
• As a BJP leader, I back Modi as the next PM of the country, says Sushma Swaraj
• Modi's governance has a proven track record, says Rajnath Singh
• I declare Narendra Modi as the leader of the BJP's parliamentary party, says Rajnath Singh
• This is a historic moment, says Rajnath Singh after Modi is elected leader
• I once again congratulate Modi, no one has ever before got the kind of support that he has, says LK Advani
Modi's speech:
• I am very grateful to each one of you for electing me as the leader, says Modi in Central Hall
• In a special way, I'm thankful to Advaniji and Rajnathji for giving me their blessings, says Modi
• It would have been an icing on the cake had Atalji been here, says Modi
• As a hard working party worker I made sure I didn't waste a single minute of my time, says Modi
• We are not here for any positions but for a responsiblity, says Modi
• On Sept 13th I was declared the PM candidate and on 15th I started working, says Modi
• There was just one event that I had to cancel in my campaign, when our district president passed away, says Modi
• I saw the CM's chamber only after becoming CM, it's the same today with Parliament, says Modi
• I want to pay my tributes to all those who lost their lives fighting for our freedom, says Modi
• Today I'm standing before you as the son of a poor man. This is the strength of democracy, says Modi
• This election result has increased people's faith in democracy, says Modi
• There is new hope among people that this dispensation can fulfill their aspirations, says Modi
• I don't believe UPA govt did nothing, they did whatever they could and they deserve appreciation for whatever good they did, says Modi
• Hung verdict would have meant anger against previous govt; clear verdict to BJP shows people voted for hope and aspiration, says Modi
• I am a very optimistic man; only optimistic man can bring optimism in the country, says Modi
• This election has been one of new hope, says Modi
• When we meet in 2019, I will present you with my report card, says Modi
• I will live for the nation and the poor, this will be a govt for the poor, says Modi
• I will work hard, not for myself but for the nation, says Modi
• With this mandate, India has shown to the world the strength of India's democracy, says Modi
• The time of seeing who won and who lost is over, says Modi
• With this mandate, India has been made proud in the eyes of the world, says Modi
• Whatever we have achieved today is due to the hard work of 5 generations of karyakartas, says Modi
• Modi is visible not only because he is big, but because his seniors are carrying him on their shoulders, says Modi
• This victory is not just ours, but belongs to the five generations of party workers, says Modi
• No one is larger than the organisation, the organisation is our strength, says Modi
• Modi gets standing ovation from BJP MPs in Parliament's Central Hall
(With PTI and ANI inputs)
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