New Delhi, July 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday voiced optimism of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returning for a third, straight, term at the Centre in 2024, adding that India will become the world's third-largest economy during his next tenure.

Addressing a meeting of the NDA in the national capital, which came hours after the Opposition parties went into a huddle at their second unity meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday, PM Modi said, "In 2014 (before the BJP-led NDA came to power), our economy was languishing in the 10th position. Today, we are at the fifth position. During our third term, we will become the third-largest economy in the world. We are working hard to accomplish this goal." Aircraft Carrying Congress Leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi Makes Emergency Landing in Bhopal Due to Bad Weather.

Asserting that every inch of his being was dedicated to serving the country, PM Modi said he won't rest till the goals that he has set for himself and the country are accomplished. "I assure you that I will leave no stone unturned in my hard work...Mere shareer ka haar kann, mere samay ka har shan, desh ko hi samarpit hai. (Every inch of my body, every moment of my time is dedicated to serving the country)," PM Modi added. Indian Building Complex in Gujarat’s Surat Surpasses Pentagon to Become Largest Office in the World, PM Narendra Modi to Inaugurate This Year (Watch Video).

He stated further that people have already made up their minds to bring back the NDA at the Centre. "For their political interests, these (Opposition) leaders can come close but they can never truly come together. The 2024 elections isn't far and the people have already made up their minds to bring the NDA for a third time," PM Modi said.

He added that he was hopeful that the NDA will secure over 50 per cent of the total votes polled in next year's Lok Sabha elections. "The NDA got 38 per cent (of the total votes polled) in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Acknowledging the work that we put in to safeguard our national interests, they reposed their faith in us and gave us 45 per cent of the (total) vote share in the 2019 elections. All our alliance partners are working sincerely and dedicatedly, which gives me the confidence that we will get over 50 per cent vote share in 2024," PM Modi said.

He stated further that the NDA has always put the country over selfish political interests, adding that the abuse of rivals has come to be the identity of the Opposition parties.

"In politics, there can be competitiveness, not enmity. We have always kept India above all political interests. It is the NDA government that conferred the Bharat Ratna on Pranab-da (former President and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee). We also conferred the Padma award on Sharad Pawar, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Muzaffar Baig and many other leaders, who were not with us. We always kept India above all political interests," PM Modi said.

Further, in a veiled at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remark at an event in London earlier this year, questioning why the "defenders of democracies" were unmoved over the prevailing state of affairs in India, PM Modi said even when the NDA was in the Opposition, it never insulted the people's mandate or never took the help of foreign powers to destabilize the ruling governments.

"Even when we were in the Opposition, we always preached and practised positive politics. We unearthed scams of previous governments but never questioned or insulted the mandate of the people. We never took the help of foreign powers against the ruling governments. We never created hurdles to development schemes meant for the welfare of the country and its people," PM Modi said.

The NDA leaders, who arrived for the meeting, also posed for a group photograph before going into a huddle. The meeting is part of the BJP's ongoing efforts to shore up the NDA and devise a joint strategy against the fledgeling grand Opposition alliance, 'INDIA', with an eye on next year's Lok Sabha elections.

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