To silence all opposition political parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to me, would have held a press conference in place of BJP President JP Nadda’s on June 9, 2025, and then allowed only five journalists to ask questions, similar to the approach taken at JP Nadda’s press conference on the same day.
BY SANJEEB KUMAR SAHOO
Yes, on June 9, 2025, my heart broke during a press conference when BJP’s national president JP Nadda spoke about 11 years of Narendra Modi’s government, but he did not mention what the Modi government did from June 9, 2024, to 2025. Believe me, despite a severe headache, I attended the BJP’s press conference because I love politics (central and state), (central and state) and eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the table.
Before you ask anything, I would like to say that BJP president JP Nadda spoke about the success of Operation Sindoor on June 9 during the press conference. However, I want to give full credit to the defence forces and express my gratitude to the NDA-led Narendra Modi government. So my focus will be solely on what the NDA government has done for the people of India through welfare schemes and policies from June 9, 2024, to June 9, 2025.
However, Operation SINDOOR, initiated on May 7, 2025, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians, showcased a calibrated tri-services response that embodied precision, professionalism, and purpose. Operation SINDOOR was conceived as a punitive and targeted campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan.
However, only JP Nadda claimed that India had become the world’s fifth largest economy, while other reports indicate that it is on course to become the fourth largest.
Since June 9, 2024, I have been monitoring the performance of the first full NDA government, and I will elaborate in the following paragraphs. Additionally, Narendra Modi, who became Prime Minister for the third time on June 9, 2025, has now completed a total of 11 years in office.
But, before I write the story, I would like to point out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have led a press conference on June 9, 2025, instead of BJP national president JP Nadda, because if Prime Minister Modi had led the press conference, it would have silenced all opposition political parties that have been complaining about why Narendra Modi hasn’t held a press conference since becoming Prime Minister of India in 2014.
So to silence all opposition political parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to me, would have held a press conference in place of BJP President JP Nadda’s on June 9, 2025, and then allowed only five journalists to ask questions, similar to the approach taken at JP Nadda’s press conference on the same day.
Because the BJP permitted only five journalists from media outlets such as India TV (owned by Raja Sharma), NDTV (owned by Gautam Adani), and Times of India (owned by Samir Jain), and I forget one name.
Let’s discuss the first full NDA government
First and foremost, I would like to make it clear to all of you that I will discuss the first full NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi from June 9, 2024, to June 9, 2025, because, as far as I know, no NDA meeting occurred between May 26, 2014, and May 26, 2024, but for the time being, the first meeting occurred in Chandigarh on 17 October, 2024, and the second meeting occurred on May 25, 2025, in New Delhi.
However, I would include all the BJP-led Narendra Modi government has done for the country from May 26, 2014, to May 26, 2024, under India’s most powerful politician and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Before 2024 Lok Sabha elections
Before the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls, on February 23, 2024, as part of a political strategy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a crucial cabinet meeting where he directed his ministers to develop an action plan for the next 100 days and a roadmap for the next five years.In the meeting, PM Modi directed his ministers to present essential initiatives and deliverables for the upcoming 100 days, accompanied by a detailed five-year plan.
On March 03, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a daylong meeting of his Council of Ministers to discuss the vision paper for ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ as well as a detailed five-year action plan.
Subsequently, on March 17, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a Cabinet meeting where he directed his ministers to create two strategic plans: one outlining the first 100 days of the new government and the other detailing the agenda for the subsequent five years.
After the formation of the government
Narendra Modi, the BJP’s top leader, took oath as Prime Minister of India for a third consecutive term on June 9, 2024, following a meeting at the Prime Minister’s official residence on June 5, 2024, where the parties of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unanimously passed a resolution electing Modi as leader.
Following the results of the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the outcomes of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have compelled the BJP to rely entirely on its coalition partners such as TDP and JDU.
On the other hand, Modi and his BJP had made repeated claims of crossing the 400-seat mark with the “400 paar or beyond 400” slogan in the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign; however, the results on June 4 saw the BJP reduced to 240 seats in the Lok Sabha, forcing it to rely on coalition partners to form a government.
In the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, the BJP won 240 seats. On the other hand, BJP coalition partners – JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar got 12 seats, and TDP’s chief Chandrababu Naidu won 16 seats; Shinde Shiv Sena got 7 seats; the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) won 5 seats; and Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party wins Lok Sabha seats.
Since the BJP failed to secure a majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, unlike in 2014 and 2019, the party fell 32 seats short of the 272 majority mark. However, with the support of NDA allies, they managed to surpass the majority threshold.
Consequently, the BJP achieved an absolute majority, securing a total of at least 292 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, aided by NDA partners, out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats that have been declared.
From June 9 to June 9
Since I mentioned it in the first paragraph, I’ll tell you about the first full NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Firstly, the first full NDA government presented the budget in Parliament through Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23, 2024.
During the presentation of the Union Budget 2024-25 in Parliament, Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that India’s inflation remains low, stable, and is progressing towards the 4 percent target.
However, retail inflation in India, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which reflects the cost of everyday goods and services, fell to a remarkable 4.6% in the fiscal year 2024-25, the lowest since 2018-19, as reported in a press release from the Ministry of Finance dated April 16, 2025.
On the other hand, the finance minister said that, as mentioned in the interim budget, the focus is on 4 major castes, namely ‘Garib’ (Poor), ‘Mahilayen’ (Women), ‘Yuva’ (Youth) and ‘Annadata’ (Farmer).
Dwelling on the budget theme, Sitharaman said, turning attention to the full year and beyond, in this budget, we particularly focus on employment, skilling, MSMEs, and the middle class.
She announced the Prime Minister’s package of 5 schemes and initiatives to facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a 5-year period with a central outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore. This year, RS 1.48 lakh crore has been allocated for education, employment and skilling.
On the other hand, the finance minister said that, as mentioned in the interim budget, the focus is on 4 major castes, namely ‘Garib’ (Poor), ‘Mahilayen’ (Women), ‘Yuva’ (Youth) and ‘Annadata’ (Farmer).
Dwelling on the budget theme, Sitharaman said, turning attention to the full year and beyond, in this budget, we particularly focus on employment, skilling, MSMEs, and the middle class.
She announced the Prime Minister’s package of 5 schemes and initiatives to facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a 5-year period with a central outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore. This year, RS 1.48 lakh crore has been allocated for education, employment and skilling.
For the 2024-2025 federal budget, the maximum on Mudra loans was increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh for entrepreneurs who have previously borrowed and successfully repaid loans under the ‘Tarun’ category.
Sitharaman stated, “With our continued emphasis on expanding the space economy by five times in the next ten years, a venture capital fund of Rs 1,000 crore will be established.”
Second, Parliament passed three new criminal laws in 2023, which went into force across the country on July 1, 2025, making widespread changes to India’s criminal justice system and repealing colonial-era regulations.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam have succeeded the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act, respectively.
The new laws bring in a modern justice system, incorporating provisions such as Zero FIR, online registration of police complaints, summonses through electronic modes such as SMS and mandatory videography of crime scenes for all heinous crimes.
The Home Minister said that three new laws – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) – have been implemented on 1 July 2024, replacing the more than 150-year-old criminal laws made by the Britishers. These three new laws will not only make our criminal justice accessible to the public in the coming days, but will also make it easier to get justice and will also start delivering justice on time. He exuded confidence that after the full implementation of these laws in 3 years, India’s criminal justice system will be the most modern in the world.
Thirdly, since June 9, 2024, the government asserts that it has approved projects totalling Rs 15 lakh crore, focussing on infrastructure development in areas like roads, railways, ports, and airways. One of the significant initiatives is the Vadhavan Mega Port in Maharashtra, a project worth Rs 76,200 crore that is set to rank among the top 10 ports in the world.
As part of the overall Rs 15 lakh crore initiative, the Prime Minister’s Rural Roads Scheme-4 (PMGSY-IV) has received approval for the construction or upgrading of 62,500 km of roads and bridges. This project aims to connect 25,000 previously unlinked villages, supported by central assistance amounting to Rs 49,000 crore.
India’s road network is getting a boost from a Rs 50,600 crore investment, which includes eight new National High-Speed Road Corridor projects spanning 936 kilometres.
The 17th payment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi initiative has distributed Rs 20,000 crore to 9.3 crore farmers. Since its inception, the scheme has distributed Rs 3 lakh crore to 12.33 crore farmers. The MSP (Minimum Support Price) for Kharif crops for 2024-25 has been enhanced, benefiting around Rs 2 lakh crore of crops.
The government has given the green light to the Rs 12,100 crore Polavaram Irrigation Project in Andhra Pradesh, along with additional schemes totalling Rs 14,200 crore, which feature the Digital Agriculture Mission aimed at enhancing productivity.
Fourthly, under the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan, 63,000 tribal villages will be fully developed. This will improve the economic condition of 5 crore tribals. Under this scheme, the village will be fully equipped with primary needs and basic amenities. So far, more than 3 lakh new identity cards have been given to the disabled persons of Scheduled Castes.
Fifth, the Modi government introduces the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which became law after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the bill after it was passed by Parliament following a marathon debate and deliberations with stakeholders, exemplifies this. It aimed at enhancing transparency in managing Waqf properties.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was passed by the Lok Sabha with 288 members in favour and 232 opposed. The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha with 128 votes in favour and 95 against.
In addition to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA-led Modi government introduced key bills, which were later passed in both houses of Parliament, such as the Railways (Amendment) Bill to modernise railway operations, the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to strengthen financial regulations, and the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, to reform aviation laws.
Sixth, a Memorandum of Settlement was signed on September 4, 2025, in the presence of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah by the Government of India, the Government of Tripura, the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), and the All Tripura Tiger Force.
Under agreement, NLFT & ATTF have agreed to abjure the path of violence, lay down all their arms and ammunition and disband their armed organisations. Apart from this, armed cadres of NLFT & ATTF have also agreed to participate in the peaceful democratic process established by the law and maintain the integrity of the country.
During a press conference in September 2024, the Union Home Minister said that on September 4 this year, a peace agreement was signed with NLFT and ATTF in Tripura after 35 years of conflict.
Seventh, In February this year, while presenting the Union Budget for the financial year 2025-26 in Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget aims at ‘transformative’ reforms in 6 areas, including taxation, the financial sector, the power sector, urban development, mining, regulatory reforms. These domains remain central to the government’s agenda, aiming to stimulate economic expansion, enhance infrastructure, improve governance, and promote sustainable development across multiple sectors.
In the Union Budget 2025-26, the government has announced zero tax on income up to Rs 12 lakh, apart from changing income tax slabs. The zero tax will only be applicable to individuals opting for the new tax regime in FY 2025-26.
However, you still need to file an income tax return (ITR), even if your taxable salary is less than Rs 12 lakh. Zero tax is payable due to a tax rebate available under Section 87A of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Eight,on April 30 this year, the Modi government announced that caste enumeration data will be included along with the decadal census. A nationwide caste census had been a longstanding demand of India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and was a central issue during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Ninth, the recently signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom is anticipated to boost bilateral trade, with an expected annual growth rate of approximately 15 per cent through the year 2030, as reported by the credit rating and research agency CareEdge.
India and the UK signed the FTA on May 6, 2025, concluding nearly three years of negotiations aimed at deepening economic cooperation. Under the terms of the agreement, India will reduce tariffs on 90 per cent of British goods, with 85 per cent becoming completely duty-free over a span of ten years. In return, the UK will eliminate tariffs on several Indian products, enabling 99 per cent of India’s exports to the UK to face zero duties.
Not finishing here.
In several paragraphs, I have attempted to explain what the NDA-led Modi government accomplished from June 9, 2024, to June 9, 2025. If you ask me, I am happy with the performance of the first year of the full NDA government led by Narendra Modi, a 74-year-old top BJP leader who has been Prime Minister since 2014. He has completed over 22 years in public service, both as Chief Minister of Gujarat and as Prime Minister of India, and he is expected to continue in this role until 2029.
Trust me, I will also write next year about the second-year performance of the first full NDA government led by BJP’s top leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
JP Nadda highlights 11 years of PM Modi
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes 11 years as Prime Minister of India, Union Health Minister and BJP President JP Nadda highlighted the key achievements of his government since 2014 during a press conference on June 9, 2025, in New Delhi.
India’s economy
The Union Health Minister praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s contributions to the growth of the Indian economy. Nadda said “Economy jumped from the 10th to the 4th position. We are the fastest growing economy for the fourth year. Per capita income has increased, our exports have gone up. There is an increase in the number of taxpayers and direct tax collection has increased by 248%. The World Bank calls us the fastest growing economy and the World Economic Forum says India will be the primary engine of growth…”
Hailing the government’s attempts to boost cooperative federalism, he said GST was an example of it. “Why was it not implemented before? Today the GST collections stand at Rs 20.8 lakh crore a year,” he said.
Welfare of SC, ST, OBC and women
Elaborating on the welfare efforts for the marginalised community, Nadda said, “Over the past decade, we have worked with deep concern for all sections of society, including SC, ST, and OBC communities. At the same time, we have actively promoted the vision of Women-Led Development.”
He further listed key achievements and said, “From empowering Lakhpati Didis to promoting Self-Help Groups (SHGs), the Modi government has made dedicated efforts to bring women, as well as SC, ST, and OBC communities, into the mainstream of national development. We’ve increased maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks with salary and promoted women-led development, with women excelling in various fields, including space exploration (Chandrayaan).”
On poverty
He further listed key achievements and said, “From empowering Lakhpati Didis to promoting Self-Help Groups (SHGs), the Modi government has made dedicated efforts to bring women, as well as SC, ST, and OBC communities, into the mainstream of national development. We’ve increased maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks with salary and promoted women-led development, with women excelling in various fields, including space exploration (Chandrayaan).”
Indian politics
Speaking on bringing change to Indian politics, Nadda said, “PM Modi has changed the country’s politics and political culture. The country was appeased 11 years ago. Earlier, saving a political chair by dividing society was the norm. When I say he changed the political culture of the country, it means politics of performance, responsive and responsible government, along with politics of report card, which means we are accountable. The work we are doing is in front of the public.”
Nadda also referred to the demonetisation of 2016 and the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill as examples of bold decision making.
Handling COVID-19
Nada stated that the Modi administration demonstrated effective and decisive leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.He emphasised that India conducted the largest vaccination campaign globally, administering 220 crore free double-dose vaccines, which cannot be compared with other countries.
“We’ve demonstrated proactive governance through various operations like Operation Devi Shakti, Operation Rahat, Operation Maitri, Operation Vaccine Maitri, and Operation Ganga. Our COVID-19 management was exemplary, with the world’s largest and fastest vaccination program…The way India responded to COVID-19, no other country could do it. In India, India gave 220 crores free double-dose of vaccines,” Nadda said.
On Chenab Bridge
Giving credit to PM Modi for the completion of the recently inaugurated Chenab Bridge, Nadda said, “In 1995, during the time of Narasimha Rao ji, the foundation stone of Chenab Bridge was laid, Atal ji declared it a project of national importance and PM Modi completed this project and dedicated it to the nation on 6 June 2025.”
Goals of Viksit Bharat
Speaking on the goal of Viksit Bharat, Nadda elaborated how the PM government has ensured development by following the best practices. “This is why our every policy was focused on perform, transform, reform…” the Union Minister said.
“In the last 11 years, we have moved forward with the mantra of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas,” he added.
On Jammu and Kashmir
On key initiatives taken by the PM Modi-led government to cater to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP president highlighted, “abrogation of Article 370, the country had accepted that this was not possible, but the Modi government removed Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir.”
He further added, “the turnout in the Lok Sabha was 58.46 per cent, while the turnout in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections was 63 per cent. This change has come due to the bold decision of the Modi government.”
On Naxalism
He credited the government for cracking down on Naxalism. “Under the Modi government, the number of districts affected by Naxal violence has significantly reduced from 126 to just 18. Top leaders of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) have been eliminated. There was a time when the defence minister used to say ‘we don’t build roads in border areas so that the enemy can’t reach us.’ Today, that mindset has changed completely. We have constructed over 8,000 kilometres of border roads, strengthening both our national security and infrastructure in previously neglected areas,” Nadda said.
Key initiatives
Listing other key initiatives introduced during the last 11 years, Nadda states, “the abolition of Triple Talaq was a tragedy for women and humanity. Even Muslim countries didn’t have the system of Triple Talaq. Similarly, he noted other key initiatives introduced by the Modi government in the last 11 years, including the Waqf Amendment Act, the Citizenship Amendment Act, demonetization, and women’s reservation.
Luckiest politician
The results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections saw the opposition-led INDIA bloc, under the leadership of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, 81, successfully halt the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at 293 seats.
However, the NDA successfully formed the government, with 74-year-old BJP leader Modi taking office as Prime Minister for the third time, having secured a majority of 272 Lok Sabha seats necessary for his election to lead the government in the 543 Lok Sabha seats.
The BJP-led NDA won 292 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, securing an absolute majority. The NDA, led solely by the BJP, won 240 seats, with partners like the Telugu Desam TDP winning 16 seats and the JD (U) winning 12, and other coalition partners taking the remaining seats.
On a bright note, INDIA coalition led by Congress gained 233 seats: the party won 99 seats, the Samajwadi Party 37 seats, the Trinamool Congress 29 seats, the DMK 22 seats, and the remaining seats were won by other alliance partners— won the rest.
At the same time, the BJP secured 282 seats in 2014, 303 seats in 2019, and 240 seats in 2024, out of a total of 543 seats. The political landscape was significantly different from 1951 to 1962, as there were fewer political parties available. However, from 2014 to 2024, there was a greater number of political parties in the country, and they also participated in Lok Sabha polls.
Luckiest politician
After ten years of absolute majority rule, the coalition era has returned to Indian politics, with BJP leader Modi becoming Prime Minister for the third time after the NDA elected him to lead the alliance. Modi not only became Prime Minister for the third time, but he also won the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat for the third straight term.
On the other hand, Modi took his oath as Prime Minister on June 9, 2024, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, among 72 other ministers. At the end of the tale, I will provide each minister’s name and designation, as well as images of all NDA government ministers.
Modi wins Varanasi with smaller margins
Prime Minister Modi won a third term in Varanasi. However, his victory margin shrunk dramatically. In the elections, Modi ran against Ajay Rai, the state Congress head. According to Election Commission data, PM Modi won the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections by 1,52,513.
This victory margin has shrunk drastically when compared to the 2019 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections.PM Modi won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with 4,79,505 votes (45.2%). In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, he won by 3,71,784 votes (36.14%).
BJP’s 370
At the BJP’s national convention on February 17, 2024, in New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam, the party had announced its goal of winning 370 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 elections. I witnessed this while attending the event, and I wrote the cover article with the heading “BJP’s Mission 370” for the February 18 edition of the National Political Mirror,world ‘s sole weekly political magazine.
I also don’t think there was anything wrong with setting the BJP’s goal at 370 Lok Sabha seats. This is because the BJP met its goal in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, winning 282 seats instead of its aim of 270. The BJP-led NDA also won 336 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. Like that, the BJP got 303 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, even though its goal was only 300. Together with its alliance, it won 353 Lok Sabha seats.
For the first time, since the BJP swept to power in 2014, it did not secure a majority on its own- far fewer than the record 303 it won in the 2019 election.
In 2014, the BJP won 282 of India’s 543 Lok Sabha seats, the first straight majority for any party since 1984. It improved this tally to 303 seats in 2019, but has won 240 seats in 2024, when the majority mark is 272.
BJP’s vote share in 2014 and 2019 was 31% and 37.3%. In 2024, this number is 36.6%. This shows that popular support for the party has not decreased since 2014. To be sure, the party contested 441 seats in 2024, compared to 428 in 2014 and 436 in 2019.
Modi matched Nehru
Modi equalled Jawaharlal Nehru’s record of three consecutive terms as India’s first Prime Minister.But in the 1951–1952 Lok Sabha Elections, the Congress won 364 of the 489 seats; in the 1957 Lok Sabha Elections, the party won 371 seats; and in the 1962 Lok Sabha Elections, the Congress, led by Nehru, won 361 of the 494 seats.
At the same time, the BJP secured 282 seats in 2014, 303 seats in 2019, and 240 seats in 2024, out of a total of 543 seats. The political landscape was significantly different from 1951 to 1962, as there were fewer political parties available. However, from 2014 to 2024, there was a greater number of political parties in the country, and they also participated in Lok Sabha polls.
This story was originally published in the June 15 print edition of the National Political Mirror.
