Amid heightened attacks from the Congress and the INDIA bloc over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B.R. Ambedkar, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders met here at BJP president J P Nadda's residence on Wednesday on the birth centenary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

According to sources, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda discussed the constitutional issues raised by the Congress party in detail during the meeting with NDA leaders.

Sources said the BJP’s central message to its allies was clear: the NDA must present a unified front to neutralise the Opposition’s attacks effectively. Notably absent from the meeting were Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The JD(U) was represented by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan, also known as Lalan Singh, while the Shiv Sena sent Union MoS Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, and Union ministers from various NDA constituents such as Apna Dal (S) president Anupriya Patel, and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, were present.

Bihar's Hindustani Awam Morcha (S) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, also a minister in the Modi government, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president Upendra Kushwaha, a Rajya Sabha MP, and Thushar Vellappally, president of Bharath Dharma Jana Sena, were also present at the meeting.

"Attended the NDA leaders' meeting in New Delhi today. Under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi, India is achieving unprecedented milestones and has positioned itself as a global superpower," Nadda said in a post on X after the meeting. "The NDA government remains steadfast in its pursuit of the vision of 'Viksit Bharat@2047', ensuring a brighter and more prosperous future for all," he added.

During the discussions, Shah reportedly reflected on recent political developments, particularly lessons drawn from the Winter Session of Parliament. He accused the Congress of historically disregarding Ambedkar’s legacy while now attempting to appropriate it for political gain.

He underscored the need for the BJP and its allies to respond robustly and in unison to such manoeuvres.

Uttar Pradesh's NISHAD Party chief Sanjay Nishad said it was an “informal" meeting of the NDA leaders on the occasion of the birth centenary of Vajpayee.  “Our future strategy is to move forward together. We have to show unity in all the upcoming elections...Everyone congratulated (the BJP leaders) in the meeting for the victory in Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls,” he told reporters when asked about the meeting.

 Nishad said the meeting also discussed coalition strategy to ensure that “all the work” done by Prime Minister Modi reaches the ground and “promises made to people during elections” are fulfilled.  The issue of giving reservation to the fishing community was also raised at the meeting, he said.

 “I gave 30-37 page evidence on the issue of giving reservation to the fishing community since it was a poll promise. They will call (us) after a week and discuss it,” Nishad said.  Asked if issue of Shah's remarks on Ambedkar came up at the meeting, the NISHAD Party chief said, "...We have come for people's welfare. How to get success in that, energy needs to be spent on that."

 "There is no need to respond to their narrative and negative thoughts," he added in an apparent reference to the Congress and other opposition parties who are up in arms against Shah over his remarks.

Though there was no official word on the agenda of the meeting, sources said good governance and political issues were discussed.

The NDA meeting comes amid the alliance's focus on simultaneous elections, with all constituents lending support to the proposal.

 A Joint Committee of Parliament, constituted to scrutinise two bills for simultaneous polls, is expected to meet on January 8.

Pioneer News Service n New Delhi

Amid heightened attacks from the Congress and the INDIA bloc over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B.R. Ambedkar, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders met here at BJP president J P Nadda's residence on Wednesday on the birth centenary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

According to sources, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda discussed the constitutional issues raised by the Congress party in detail during the meeting with NDA leaders.

Sources said the BJP’s central message to its allies was clear: the NDA must present a unified front to neutralise the Opposition’s attacks effectively. Notably absent from the meeting were Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The JD(U) was represented by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan, also known as Lalan Singh, while the Shiv Sena sent Union MoS Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, and Union ministers from various NDA constituents such as Apna Dal (S) president Anupriya Patel, and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, were present.

Bihar's Hindustani Awam Morcha (S) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, also a minister in the Modi government, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president Upendra Kushwaha, a Rajya Sabha MP, and Thushar Vellappally, president of Bharath Dharma Jana Sena, were also present at the meeting.

"Attended the NDA leaders' meeting in New Delhi today. Under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi, India is achieving unprecedented milestones and has positioned itself as a global superpower," Nadda said in a post on X after the meeting. "The NDA government remains steadfast in its pursuit of the vision of 'Viksit Bharat@2047', ensuring a brighter and more prosperous future for all," he added.

During the discussions, Shah reportedly reflected on recent political developments, particularly lessons drawn from the Winter Session of Parliament. He accused the Congress of historically disregarding Ambedkar’s legacy while now attempting to appropriate it for political gain.

He underscored the need for the BJP and its allies to respond robustly and in unison to such manoeuvres.

Uttar Pradesh's NISHAD Party chief Sanjay Nishad said it was an “informal" meeting of the NDA leaders on the occasion of the birth centenary of Vajpayee.  “Our future strategy is to move forward together. We have to show unity in all the upcoming elections...Everyone congratulated (the BJP leaders) in the meeting for the victory in Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls,” he told reporters when asked about the meeting.

 Nishad said the meeting also discussed coalition strategy to ensure that “all the work” done by Prime Minister Modi reaches the ground and “promises made to people during elections” are fulfilled.  The issue of giving reservation to the fishing community was also raised at the meeting, he said.

 “I gave 30-37 page evidence on the issue of giving reservation to the fishing community since it was a poll promise. They will call (us) after a week and discuss it,” Nishad said.  Asked if issue of Shah's remarks on Ambedkar came up at the meeting, the NISHAD Party chief said, "...We have come for people's welfare. How to get success in that, energy needs to be spent on that."

 "There is no need to respond to their narrative and negative thoughts," he added in an apparent reference to the Congress and other opposition parties who are up in arms against Shah over his remarks.

Though there was no official word on the agenda of the meeting, sources said good governance and political issues were discussed.

The NDA meeting comes amid the alliance's focus on simultaneous elections, with all constituents lending support to the proposal.

 A Joint Committee of Parliament, constituted to scrutinise two bills for simultaneous polls, is expected to meet on January 8.