Anil Anand
Politics is the vanguard of a democratic set up. Power in a democracy flows through the barrel of politics or to be precise electoral politics. So it is in the fitness of the things to review or assess two years of Narendra Modi Government primarily through the prism of politics. This is more so because as Mr Modi has over the two years created a strong aura of political rainbow around him which has proved to be much stronger than attempts at portraying himself as a ‘Vikas Purush’.
There is no denying the fact that Mr Modi had secured an impressive win in last Lok Sabha elections on the twin planks of “development and Good Governance”. The two factors have, in fact, been the cornerstone of his governance model. But his politics, backed by an able and equally aggressive BJP chief Mr Amit Shah, has shown tendency to override and over-shine all what has been achieved or not on the governance front during the last two years.
Yes there is also no denying the fact that no big scams have taken place during the period which came as a whiff of fresh air after a high voltage perceptive expose campaign effectively launched by the BJP in the run up to the general elections. Not only did this perceptive poll campaign produced the best ever electoral dividends for the party but it has also helped the NDA dispensation and the BJP in particularly to create a smoke screen and cover up their inefficiencies and failures during the last two years through a sustained tirade against the Congress invoking spirit of the same scams. This is a different matter that the outcome of the probes going on in series of scams of UPA era has been shoddy and unsatisfactory.
Inversely the spectre of corruption has also been haunting the Modi Government but in a different fashion. It is not necessary that political leaders at the high levels are always the beneficiaries, most of the times they are, of big deals and has been proved time and again that a battery of middle men and those in the officialdom are the most benefitted. Not many big deals were struck, despite ushering the system into a totally centralised mechanism, due to the same fear. The much touted Rafale fighter aircraft deal is still to happen mostly due to financial reasons or pricing.
At the same time the BJP has been busy rediscovering itself through evaluation of each electoral fight particularly after Delhi and Bihar debacle. The resounding victory leading to the party forming its first ever Government in Assam is the outcome of this rediscovery. Despite the fact that the party could not even take off in other three southern states of Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and had to draw solace only in increase of vote share, Assam’s portrayal of a mother of all victories by the BJP strategists due to the development and good governance agenda of Mr Modi certainly created a charade of a sweep all through.
The crescendo of Congress-mukt Bharat kick-started by Mr Modi himself has certainly shown results at least in demoralising the Congressmen. In the back drop of this slogan a totally reoriented political strategy has been unleashed by the ‘Sangh Parivar’ the result of which was seen in Assam. The victory was the outcome of a reverse polarisation which was achieved quietly through new brand of social engineering while keeping aside the ‘Parivar’s’ old policy of communal polarisation through hatred campaigns and resultant riots.
This new dimension at polarisation broke the Congress’ back in Assam and is likely to be tried by the BJP strategists in a different manner in Utter Pradesh Assembly elections next year. In the BJP’s ultimate scheme of things it became the Muslims versus the rest in Assam which Congress under its seasoned leader and three time chief minister Mr Tarun Gogoi failed to fathom. This is where the BJP’s strategy of reverse polarisation succeeded.
Mr Modi is a Prime Minister in perpetual politico-electoral mode. His big achievement on the governance front has been creating a new administrative firmament that entailed making the system more accountable. And of course, taking initiatives such as Swach Bharat, Clean Ganga, Skill India, Jan Dhan Yojana, Crop Insurance Programme coupled with steps at ensuring ease of doing business. These plans have been very effectively launched by Mr Modi himself through mega events. But there is no clarity to suggest about their effective implementation and results accrued thereof.
Finally and more importantly Mr Modi has not exhibited any spirit of carrying everyone particularly the opposition along. The biggest drawback of his governance model has been his insistence to follow course in the true spirit of his political background without yielding any space to a counter view even if it emanated from within his own party or the parivar.
One has a strong feeling this political model of governance would continue at least till the UP Assembly elections. The fact of the matter is that the country’s largest state with highest number of Lok Sabha seats played a pivotal role in giving a thumping majority to BJP. And it will remain crucial for 2019 general elections as well.
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