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Wednesday, 21 May 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The win handed the BJP its first parliamentary majority and reduced the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty’s ruling Congress party to 44 seats, the lowest ever tally for a party that won independence and has ruled for most of the 67 years since.
Modi, 63, choked up and stopped his speech to drink water during his inaugural appearance in the round, colonial-era building.
He addressed BJP lawmakers filling more than half the seats of Lok Sabha with uplifting words that commentators immediately contrasted with the often wooden addresses of his predecessor Manmohan Singh.
“It is proof of the strength of our constitution that a man from a poor family is standing here today,” said Modi, who sold tea on a railway platform as a child before entering politics. For the past 12 years he has governed the state of Gujarat.
“This government (will be) one which thinks of the poor, which listens to the poor, a government which lives for the people,” said Modi, who kissed the steps of the pink sandstone parliament building before his speech.
His comments appeared designed to counter criticism that his record of business-focussed government and fast economic growth in Gujarat did not do enough to lift people from poverty.
Congress has traditionally cast itself as India’s champion of the poor and downtrodden.
“LONG LIVE MODI!”
Modi faces a huge task in meeting the sky-high expectations of India’s 1.2 billion people, who hope he can drag the country from economic torpor, tackle corruption and cut red tape in order to create enough jobs for its burgeoning youth.
With thunderous applause and shouts of “Long live Modi!” the 282 BJP members, who comfortably make up a majority in the 543-seat house, officially chose him as their parliamentary leader, one of several formalities before he is sworn in.
