On the 44th foundation day of the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it has become India's preferred party and expressed confidence that people will elect it for another term at the Centre, allowing it to build on the "ground covered in the last decade".

Greeting members of the BJP, he said the youth of India see it as the party which can fulfil their aspirations and provide leadership to the nation in the 21st century.

Modi asserted the BJP has freed India from the culture of corruption, cronyism, casteism, communalism and vote bank politics, which was the "hallmark" of those who ruled the nation for the longest time.

In today's India, emphasis is on clean and transparent governance which ensures the fruits of development reach the poor without any discrimination, he said.

"Be it at the Centre or states, our party has redefined good governance. Our schemes and policies have given strength to the poor and downtrodden. Those who were left on the margins for decades found a voice and hope in our party," PM Modi said on X.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has worked towards providing all-round development which has boosted ease of living for every Indian, Modi said.

"I also recall with great reverence the hard work, struggles and sacrifices of all those great women and men who built our party over the years. I can say with great confidence that we are India's preferred party, which has always served with the motto of 'Nation First'," he said.

It is a matter of great joy that the BJP has made a mark for its development-oriented outlook, good governance and commitment to nationalistic values, said the party's preeminent leader under whose stewardship it has achieved unprecedented electoral successes in Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the last decade.

PM Modi said, "Powered by our karyakartas, our party embodies the aspirations and dreams of 140 crore Indians. The youth of India see our party as one which can fulfil their aspirations and provide leadership to India in the 21st century." The prime minister said, "We are also proud to be an integral part of the NDA, which manifests a perfect harmony between national progress and regional aspirations. The NDA is a vibrant alliance that encapsulates India's diversity. We cherish this partnership and I am sure it will get even stronger in the times to come." Referring to the upcoming general elections, he said, "India is all set to elect a new Lok Sabha. I am confident that the people are going to bless us with another term so that we can build on the ground covered in the last decade." The BJP was founded in 1980 by leaders of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh, a party which has merged with other opposition parties to form the Janata Party to take on the Congress in the post-Emergency 1977 polls. It won only two Lok Sabha seats in the first national election it fought in 1984.

However, it rose rapidly later under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, coming to power in the 90s as the head of a coalition, before Modi led the party to its maiden majority in 2014 and then to a bigger mandate in 2019.

Most political experts have tipped the BJP as the favourite to retain power for a third term in the seven-phase polls starting from April 19.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.