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Modi, Shah meet Union ministers, PM says campaigning felt like being on pilgrimage

NDA's big reunion before D day.

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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday likened his campaign for this Lok Sabha election to a pilgrimage, saying it stood out from other polls as it was being fought by the people and not the party alone.

He made these remarks at a meeting of ministers of his government at the BJP headquarters where he thanked them for their work, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar told reporters.

"I have seen many elections but this one was beyond politics. Public was fighting them. I have campaigned in assembly elections and undertaken political tours for the party in different elections. When I toured during these polls, it seemed that I was on a pilgrimage," the prime minister was quoted as saying.

He met Union ministers from the BJP as well as allies at the meeting- called 'Aabhar milan' (expressing gratitude)- hosted by party president Amit Shah. 

Shah also later hosted a dinner for party leaders and allies.

The BJP described the meeting as an occasion to thank ministers for "their service to the nation" ahead of the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha election on May 23, following which a new government will assume charge. Later in a tweet, Shah said, "I congratulate Team Modi Sarkar for their hard work and remarkable achievements in the last 5 years. Let us keep this momentum going for a New India under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi." Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, J P Nadda and Prakash Javadekar were among the key leaders from the BJP at the meeting.

Some ministers from BJP allies, including Ram Vilas Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party, Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Akali Dal and Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal, also attended the meeting.

In the dinner meet, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, besides other allies were present.The saffron camp has expressed confidence that the NDA will emerge victorious, with the exit polls too forecasting a return of the Modi government. 

BJP asks opposition to accept 'defeat' with grace: 

he BJP Tuesday condemned opposition parties for questioning the credibility of Electronic Voting Machines and asked them to accept their defeat with grace if the people vote Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power again.
Party leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad took a swipe at the opposition, saying EVMs were fine when its leaders like Mamata Banerjee, N Chandrababu Naidu and Amarinder Singh win elections and come to power, but the machines turn unreliable when it appears Modi will come back to power.

"EVM is good when Mamata Banerjee became West Bengal chief minister twice and Amarinder Singh became Punjab chief minister. If they win, EVM is good. But when there is expectation that we will win because people of this country want Narendra Modi to be prime minister again, then EVM is unreliable. 

"The BJP condemns their (opposition) conduct and will tell humbly to accept their defeat with grace," he said.

BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said opposition parties are desperately seeking an alibi for their impending massive defeat and their sudden mistrust is "unsurprising and unimaginary". "When they win, as they did in state polls recently, EVMs are trustworthy. But when they lose, they become questionable. Their selective trust in the EVMs is hypocritical and mischievous. "Their blatant effort at rubbishing the predicted pro-BJP mandate is an insult to the Indian democracy. The Opposition parties look very small not in their defeat, but in their condemnable conduct," he said.

Leaders of as many as 22 opposition parties met the Election 

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