'May 16 is very special': PM Modi recalls 2014 mandate in address to Indian diaspora in the Netherlands

NEW DELHI: Addressing the Indian diaspora in The Hague, Netherlands, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighted the significance of today's date, recalling that on this day in 2014, the BJP-led NDA secured a decisive mandate to form a stable, full-majority government after a decade of the UPA regime under the Congress.Also Read | ‘Decade of crises for world’: PM Modi warns ‘past achievements could be wiped away’ by Middle East warIn the 2014 general elections, the BJP alone won 282 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, marking the first time since 1984 that a single party secured a clear majority on its own.“Today is May 16, and this day is very special for another reason as well. Twelve years ago today, on May 16, 2014, something special happened. On this very day in 2014, the results of the Lok Sabha elections were announced. After decades, it became certain that a stable and full majority government would be formed in India. That was one day, and this is today's day,” PM Modi told his audience.The BJP’s seat tally increased to 303 in 2019 before it lost its majority in 2024, winning 240 seats.Meanwhile, the prime minister reflected on his long tenure in public office, saying, “13 years as chief minister (of Gujarat)... 12 years as prime minister... in the democratic world, for 25 years... the unwavering support of crores and crores of voters... this is a matter of immense good fortune for me.”He added that this support was not just political but emotional.“For me, this is not just a number... this is your blessing, which is my greatest asset,” the prime minister remarked.PM Modi is in the Netherlands as part of a five-nation tour. He arrived in the European nation from the United Arab Emirates and is also scheduled to visit Sweden and Norway, before concluding his tour with a visit to Italy.