Modi Sarkar 2.0 formation May 26 | As it happened

Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi while addressing the public in Ahmedabad said that the people wanted a strong government.

Prime Minister Modi in Ahemadabad

Prime Minister Modi accompanied by BJP Prez Amit Shah and Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, pays respect to Sardar Patel's statue in Ahmedabad

Prime Minister Modi and BJP President Amit Shah have reached Ahmedabad where they will address the workers at the BJP office before addressing the public.

One-fifth of the 40 MPs elected to the 17th Lok Sabha from Bihar are sitting members of the bicameral legislature in the state three of them being
ministers in the Nitish Kumar cabinet.

Of these eight MPs, five are members of the Assembly, the other three of the legislative council.

Two of the MLCs - JD(U)'s Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan and LJP's Pashupati Kumar Paras - are members of the state cabinet.

While Lalan Singh has secured the Munger, Paras has retained for the party the Hajipur (SC) constituency, previously represented by his brother and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan.

Their cabinet colleague Dinesh Chandra Yadav, a JD(U) MLA from Simari Bakhtiyarpur in Saharsa district, has won from Madhepura, where two former MPs - RJD's Sharad Yadav and Jan Adhikar Party's Pappu Yadav - bit the dust.

Despite receiving a drubbing in the just held Lok Sabha polls, the Chhattisgarh Congress has drawn consolation by wresting the Naxal-hit Bastar seat,
reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates, which it never won in the past.

Congress nominee Dipak Baij defeated BJP's Baiduram Kashyap by a margin of 38,982 votes in Bastar.

Prior to the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress was hopeful of faring well and winning seats reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates as it won the Assembly polls last year with a thumping majority, uprooting the BJP which ruled the state for 15 years.

However, in the Lok Sabha polls to 11 seats in the state, the results of which were declared last Thursday, the Congress managed to win only two seats - Korba and Bastar. But, the party is happy to have improved its tally from the previous record of winning just one seat in the state in the last three Lok Sabha polls.

"We performed well in Bastar and Kanker - both reserved for tribal candidates. Though we won only Bastar of these two, the loss margin in Kanker was just 6,914 votes.

Former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar on Sunday said the BJP will introspect its defeat in the by-election to the Panaji
Assembly seat, which was held by his father for long.

Congress leader Atanasio Monserratte on Thursday won the Panaji bypoll, necessitated due to the death of sitting MLA Manohar Parrikar in March.

The Congress nominee defeated BJP candidate Siddharth Kunkolienkar by a margin of over 1,700 votes in the seat, which was held by the saffron party for 25 years.

The former chief minister's son was earlier among the candidates shortlisted by the BJP, but it later fielded Kunkolienkar in the bypoll, held on May 19.

Utpal Parrikar, who actively campaigned for the BJP in the bypoll, said the party will do an assessment of its defeat and make all efforts to win the seat next time.

The Chaudhary Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal party was decimated in the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha polls this time but senior party leader Jayant Chaudhary is undeterred by the results, saying "a person who has not tasted defeat, has actually not lived his life".

There were some hopes of the party making its presence felt in the political landscape of the state in May last year during the Kairana bypolls, when the BJP lost to the joint opposition candidate, RLD's Tabassum Hasan.

However, this time Hasan (SP) lost to BJP's Pradeep Kumar by a margin of 92,160 votes.

Buoyed by the victory of the joint opposition candidate in the Kairana Lok Sabha bypolls, talks of 'mahagathbandhan' of opposition parties (SP, BSP and RLD) had gained momentum in the state.

However, the joy was short-lived, as in the parliamentary elections, the SP could not improve its 2014 tally and bagged five seats, while the BSP gained 10 seats. The RLD, which had fielded three candidates, failed register a win on even a single seat.

RLD candidates Ajit Singh and his son Jayant Chaudhary lost from Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat Lok Sabha seats respectively, while Kunwar Narendra Singh lost from Mathura.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has congratulated his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on his victory in election and expressed confidence in working together in a spirit of friendship and cooperation.

Prime Minister Rutte, in a letter sent to Prime Minister Modi on Friday, wished him success in the coming years.

He expressed confidence in working together with Modi in a spirit of friendship and cooperation for the benefit of people of India and the Netherlands, a statement issued by the Indian Embassy here said.

Prime Minister Rutte said that he greatly values the strong and wide-ranging partnership between India and the Netherlands which is based on long-standing historic ties between the two countries.

Rutte conveyed that he is looking forward to meet Prime Minister Modi next month in Osaka at the G20 Summit, the statement added. 

Odisha: Newly elected BJD MPs meet CM and party chief Naveen Patnaik, today in Bhubaneswar.

Newly elected BJD MPs meet CM Naveen Patnaik

Edappadi K Palaniswami must take moral responsibility for the defeat of AIADMK in Lok Sabha elections, the party managed to win on one seat in general elections because of money power. Palaniswami must tender his resignation: Chennai Central MP and DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran

Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to receive congratulatory calls from leaders across the globe for returning to power with a massive majority in the Lok Sabha elections.

The prime minister received telephone calls from crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, Emir of State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British PM Theresa May and former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.  

A statement from the prime minister's office said all calls were received Saturday.​

Modi thanked the Crown Prince for his felicitations and conveyed his appreciation for his invaluable friendship with people of India and his personal interest in furthering close relations between the two countries.

The Emir felicitated the Prime Minister and noted the deepening relationship between India and Qatar.

The prime minister thanked the Emir and expressed appreciation for his guidance in building a strong partnership between the two countries, the statement said.

Delhi: YSRCP chief Jaganmohan Reddy meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

V Vijaya Sai Reddy and other leaders of YSRCP were also present.

Jaganmohan Reddy meets PM Modi

JD(S) working president MS Narayanrao issues circular to all leaders, spokespersons and MLAs of the party asking them to not participate in TV debates and give any statements to media.

Delhi: Amethi MP and BJP leader Smriti Irani leaves for her constituency. 

She will meet the family of Surendra Singh, ex-village head of Barauli, Amethi who was shot dead last night.

Smriti Irani leaves for Amethi

Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.

PM Modi meets Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu

It's very strange that many of our supporters had voted for our party but their votes have not been registered, there are instances where no votes were cast for our party. How can it be possible? EC has to clarify. I can't go to court as I have no evidence: TTV Dhinakaran, AMMK

YSRCP Chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrives in Delhi. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.

BJP National Vice President and former Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh meets party leader Nitin Gadkari in Delhi.

Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh meets Nitin Gadkari in Delhi

YSR Congress Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister designate Y S Jaganmohan Reddy is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Sunday.

Reddy, whose party stormed to power with a landslide victory in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, is likely to discuss providing outside or issue-based support to the Modi government in the meeting, sources said Saturday.

The meeting assumes importance as the YSRCP chief during the election campaign had said that his party would support whoever promises Andhra Pradesh the Special Category Status.

According to an official source, the YSRCP chief will arrive in the national capital tomorrow morning and will meet the prime minister at noon.
After meeting Modi, he is expected to interact with Andhra Bhawan officials, the source added.

Reddy will take oath as new Chief Minister of the state on May 30 in Vijayawada.

A former village head was allegedly shot dead by two unidentified men in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi district. Additional Superintendent of Police Daya Ram said Surendra Singh (50), the former head of Baraulia village was shot at around 11.30 pm Saturday.

He was referred to Lucknow in a serious condition and he succumbed to his injuries during treatment, the police officer said, adding two people have been detained in connection with the incident and further investigation was underway.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Gujarat today to seek the blessings of his mother after his BJP-led NDA returned to power with a massive majority in the Lok Sabha elections.

On Monday, he will be in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha seat he retained in the elections by a margin of 4.79 lakh votes.

"Will be going to Gujarat tomorrow evening, to seek blessings of my Mother. Day after tomorrow morning, I will be in Kashi to thank the people of this great land for reposing their faith in me," the prime minister tweeted.