Election Results 2024 highlights: BJP likely to pick Odisha CM after Modi's swearing-in

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has said that the people of Odisha will decide his successor.

"Mr. (VK) Pandian joined the party, has not held any post. As you know he didn't fight in these elections from any constituency. I have always clearly said... that when they ask me about my successor... I have said clearly that it is not Mr. Pandian and I repeat it again that the people of Odisha will decide my successor," said BJD president and former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu said on Saturday that he would be honoured to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony and his first visit to India for the historic event would demonstrate that bilateral ties are heading in a "positive direction", reported news agency PTI.

President Muizzu has accepted the invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and the Council of Ministers of the Government of India, his office said in a statement.

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Vice President of Seychelles, Ahmed Afif on Saturday arrived in New Delhi to attend Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony scheduled to be held on Sunday, reported news agency ANI.

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Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: In an interaction with news agency ANI, Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina took a dig at the Congress party. He said, "The whole of India is 'Modimay'. NDA has won a landslide victory and the Congress-led INDI alliance is a sinking ship. Congress has faced continuous defeats... Congress could not even touch the 100 mark..."

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: In an interaction with news agency ANI, Congress MP Deepender Hooda said, "The countrymen have given the moral strength to the opposition. The sentiment of the country is with the opposition today. For this, the Congress leadership deserves special congratulations. I think Rahul Gandhi deserves congratulations for the way he fearlessly fought for every section. We all urged that Rahul Gandhi should take the responsibility of the leader of the opposition..."

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Rahul Gandhi, who won both the Wayanad and Rae Bareli constituencies in the recently-held Lok Sabha elections, will decide in “three to four days” which seat he will represent in the upcoming 18th Lok Sabha and which one he will vacate, the Congress said on Saturday. Dig Deeper

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav has thanked Uttar Pradesh people for party's performance in the state. She said, "I would like to congratulate all the MPs of our Samajwadi Party and also thank all the people of Uttar Pradesh for the work they have done to send a large number of people to the Parliament by supporting positive politics today. I believe that in a democracy if people are not happy, they choose their representatives according to their wishes. The same has happened in Ayodhya that somewhere people were unhappy and they have chosen their MP..."

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: In an interaction with news agency ANI, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "... I wanted to do Ram Lalla's 'darshan' for many days... Today, I am happy to come here... I prayed that Modi Ji's next term should be very well, Assam and the whole country should be very well... In the history of India, this is the first time that any prime minister will take the PM's oath for the third time. This is historic... We are moving towards a golden India under the leadership of Narendra Modi... Congress has no accountability that even after 10 years, why they could not reach even 100... Had I been in Congress, I would have held the Gandhi family accountable... Just to make sure that they are not answerable, some people are running propaganda and celebrating for a party that has lost..."

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Talking about the swearing-in ceremony of PM-Designate Narendra Modi, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has claimed that INDIA alliance leaders haven't received invitation yet.

"Only international leaders have been invited for the swearing-in ceremony. Our leaders have not received the invitation yet. When our INDIA alliance leaders receive the invitation, we will think about it," said Jairam Ramesh

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Congress leader K C Venugopal has said that Rahul Gandhi will decide very soon over taking up role of LoP in Lok Sabha. Notably, Congress Working Committee has urged Rahul Gandhi to take up role of LoP in Lok Sabha.

"Rahul Gandhi said he will take a decision very soon," said K C Venugopal.

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: "Our leaders, workers are charged up; revival of Congress has begun. That is the sentiment at CWC," said party general secretary K C Venugopal

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: After the CWC meeting, Congress leader Ajay Rai said, "It was the CWC's wish that Rahul Gandhi be made the LoP and be the voice of the common man and raise their issues in the Parliament... We are working on why we got fewer seats in some states. Their claim of 'Congress mukt' has failed and the country has now become 'Congress yukt' again."

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: "Narendra Modi-led BJP had only one agenda- to divide the people. No answer for unemployment, no answer for price rise, no answer to Agniveer issues," says Congress Working Committee

According to an NDTV report, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's JD(U) will get two Cabinet births in PM-elect Narendra Modi-led NDA government. The two berths will go to senior party leaders Lalan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur, the report says.

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: BJP leader V Muraleedharan criticising Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala says, “The progress report of Pinarayi Vijayan immediately after people have rejected the LDF, it is mocking the people of the state. Someone who has got zero marks in all the subjects is gleefully coming in front of his parents. I am reminded of the incident when three days after the result was announced, CM Pinarayi Vijayan came out with a progress report... After releasing the report, the CM says that because of the non-cooperative efforts of the Government of India, Kerala was put in a lot of trouble.”

Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Outgoing Odisha chief minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik said “There has been some criticism of Mr Pandian. This is unfortunate...Mr Pandian joined the party but has not held any posts. He did not fight in these elections from any constituency. I have always clearly said that when they asked me about my successor, I have said clearly that it is not Mr Pandia. I repeat that the people of Odisha will decide my successor.”

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikha Hasina arrived in Delhi today to attend Modi's oath ceremony scheduled for June 9.

Other leaders include heads of State of Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal and Bhutan.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in an official statement on Saturday said, “President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe; President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu; Vice-President of Seychelles, Ahmed Afif; Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth; Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'; and Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, have accepted the invitation to attend.”

Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge during the CWC meeting said,

• I would also like to congratulate the people's favourite, Rahul Gandhi ji, who has made issues like the Constitution, economic inequality, unemployment and social justice and harmony a public issue.
• This is the result of the 4,000-km-long Bharat Jodo Yatra and then the 6,600-km-long Bharat Jodon Nyay Yatra led by Rahul ji two years ago, which helped us connect with the people and understand their problems, concerns and aspirations. On this basis, the Congress party prepared its election campaign.
• I would like to especially congratulate Priyanka Ji, who campaigned vigorously in Amethi and Rae Bareli, as well as in other parts of the country.
• I would like to thank all my senior Congress colleagues who worked as a TEAM. Our collective efforts resulted in our workers across the country working with new zeal and enthusiasm. They made significant contributions in their respective fields. We must always remember that with hard work and determination, we can defeat even the biggest opponent.
• Here, I would like to specifically mention that wherever Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passed, the Congress Party's vote percentage and seats increased.
• In Manipur, from where Nyay Yatra started, we won both the seats. We got seats in many states of the Northeast like Nagaland, Assam, and Meghalaya. In Maharashtra, we emerged as the largest party. Across the country, the Congress Party received immense support from the people to save democracy and the Constitution.

Here is what Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said during his opening remarks at CWC meeting in Delhi today. “I heartily welcome all of you to our first Working Committee meeting after the 18th Lok Sabha elections,” he said. He further noted,

• The Congress Working Committee thanks the Congress Party leaders and crores of workers across the country who worked tirelessly in the last few months. I congratulate you on your strong will, determination, and hard work.
• The public has replied solidly to dictatorial powers and anti-constitutional forces by expressing faith in us. The voters of India have rejected the BJP's 10 years of divisive, hateful and polarizing politics.
• The Congress Working Committee congratulates all the newly elected members of the Congress, who fought and won the elections in adverse circumstances. Congratulations to them on becoming members of the 18th Lok Sabha.
• On this occasion, I would also like to thank Smt. Sonia Gandhi, actively participated in the election preparations and alliance meetings and guided all of us based on her long experience.

In his opening statement at the extended CWC meeting in New Delhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge emphasised the importance of acknowledging the INDIA Alliance partners. He stated, “It is imperative that I recognise the significant contributions of the INDIA Alliance partners, with each party fulfilling its designated role in various states, thereby contributing to each other's endeavours.”

Speaking about Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony tomorrow, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav says, “Tomorrow will be a new day for India's history when PM-designate Modi will take the oath for the third time to take India forward.”

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Balyogi Umesh Nath emphasises the NDA's longstanding existence, tracing it back to Atal Bihari Vajpayee's era. He underscores the ongoing commitment of NDA allies to support Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi in his endeavours for the nation's welfare. “We all stand with PM Narendra Modi, prioritizing the best interests of the country,” he told ANI.

Several Congress leaders have come out and voiced their demand that Rahul Gandhi should take over the position of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha citing that he will play a crucial role and this move will ultimately strengthen the party.

"Everything would be decided by the party high command. The whole country demands that Rahul Gandhi should surface as the main Leader of the Opposition. This position is apt and he will play a crucial role. The party will also strengthen the party," Partap Singh Bajwa told ANI.

Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring who is an MP elected from Ludhiana said that the final decision rests with the party's leadership and it is Rahul Gandhi who has to decide whether to take this role.