Milestones and U-turns: On the government in its third term

As their third term in office gathers pace, the Narendra Modi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are eager to claim a seamless continuity with the first two terms, as a mark of effective governance and leadership. The government and the party have used the arbitrary 100-day milestone to showcase their achievements in various sectors, from renewable energy to infrastructure, and the successes of welfare schemes. They have also used the opportunity to pronounce that nothing has changed, despite the dependence of the government on a coalition in the 18th Lok Sabha. As if to prove the point that there is no rethink on any of its controversial agendas from the previous terms, the Union Cabinet, on Wednesday (September 18, 2024), approved a report by a committee headed by the former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, that has endorsed a partisan BJP proposal for simultaneous elections to all State Assemblies and the Lok Sabha. The government has also made it clear that it will work towards a Uniform Civil Code, and continue to push for the expansion of Hindi over English. BJP functionaries are putting on a brave face but cannot wish away the new reality of coalition politics, and the changed dynamics in the party and the larger Sangh Parivar since the results of the 2024 general election.

Stability and continuity at policy and political levels are signs of good governance, but so are negotiations, compromises and consensus in a diverse democracy. In governance, as in driving, proactive and defensive approaches go together, and U-turns are wise when racing ahead can lead to a collision. The BJP has quietly learnt this lesson, though it is unwilling to own up its own new flexibility. Rigidity has been talked up as a sign of virtuous politics by strong man populism around the world, and the BJP is now haunted by the ghost of its own past bombast. On some major policy issues, the BJP has made course corrections after resistance from allies and the Opposition. It has extended the consultation on the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, abandoned the new pension scheme and the proposed lateral entry scheme in the high bureaucracy. These are areas in need of reforms, but they can be best achieved by openness and flexibility. The BJP’s rigidity on issues has also begotten equally rigid resistance from the Opposition, which is no good for governance. Similarly, the BJP itself is increasingly becoming a coalition rather than an ideological monolith. It is good that the leadership has realised this. It will be better if it also articulates this more honestly.