Farewell to politics of low delivery, low expectations ::::: How 'Opposition Unity' can be self-defeating for Congress?

How things changed in last 9 years? Farewell to politics of low delivery, low expectations

(Stage is set for the beginning of a month-long programme to celebrate nine years of the Modi government. India has changed a lot and more so in terms of qualities of life of the poor and marginalised. This is 'New India')

New Delhi 

Much ado about completion of nine years in office by the Modi government? Not really.

Things have changed a lot in the nine years since 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in Delhi for the first time.

It may not be erroneous to suggest that for a long time, India was "harmed" by politics of low delivery and low expectations.  The governance formula guided by 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' focused on irreversible empowerment of marginalised sections and also worked hard to improve on delivery.

This changed the perception about life and expectancy on governance by the poor who were hitherto compelled to repose more faith on their fortunes.

"During the completion of nine years of the government headed by PM Modi, we will highlight various achievements. Take for instance, once a gas connection or electricity is given and toilets were constructed, people realised none can take it away. Slowly, people also developed a taste for higher and more aspirations. Focus shifted to education and skill development. This has been a big success area in the last nine years," M Chuba Ao, BJP national vice president, said. 

In this context, it may not be wrong again to suggest that earlier during the Congress regime or under regional and Left parties in the states, the attitude of the government apparatus used to be that they would play 'patronise the marginalised' cards. People got small benefits periodically and kept on depending on the political largesse. The 'piecemeal' varieties of  development and empowerment kept people 'dependent' and thus irreversible empowerment was denied.  

But under Modi, schemes like Jan Dhan, Mudra yojana and StartUp India and Skill India "empowered individuals on a long-term perspective". The marginalised sections were provided with self-employment opportunities and they found themselves turning into 'entrepreneurs'. 

This was a game-changer as such small-time players-turned-entrepreneurs became role models

across India. 

The BJP leaders also say the Modi government at the end turned itself into a regime that started

'thinking big for the poor'. To substantiate the claims, they throw up statistics.

There were 29.75 crore people benefitting under PM Suraksha Bima Yojana,  13.53 crore people

benefited under PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and 37 crore Ayushman Bharat health accounts.

During the last nine years, three crore people got houses under Awas Yojana and a whopping 

Rs 25 lakh crore directly transferred to beneficiary bank accounts.

Sources in the government say as part of the Modi government's vision of inclusive development,

the central government has undertaken many reforms to empower Divyangjan, Transgender people

and denotified and nomadic tribes. 

Under the Namaste scheme, the centre seeks to eradicate unsafe sewer and septic tank cleaning practices

to help sanitation workers also lead a life of dignity. One BJP leader who works among tribals in Jharkhand

says, "An integral element of PM Modi’s government has been the effort to recognize icons of social

empowerment and thus November 15 (every year) was declared Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s jayanti.

"This kind of recognition builds pride among communities by highlighting their contribution to nation-building.

This also helps ensure better national and socio economic integration," the source said.

Sources also point out that multiple global institutions like the IMF have recognised

the Modi government's extend to provide welfare measures and alleviate poverty.

The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index released by the United Nations Development

Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative has credited

India with a reduction in "all ten Multidimensional Poverty Indicators".

Leaders also say that PM Modi has always kept himself 'grounded' and common people

knew the Prime Minister stood by the faceless millions. In this context, one sitting MP

from a regional party in the NDA says, "I do not belong to the BJP....But it is true the pretext often taken 

about big leaders that he or she is being out of touch from the ground reality does not apply to PM 

Shri Modi. PM Modi in now way can be compared with former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu of West Bengal 

– whose initial years have seen a time of ‘great expectations’ but the end was scandalously of failures".

The BJP leaders endorse these views and maintain that things have 'changed' on ground in real terms.

Therefore a staggeringly high 80 crore Indians are getting 'free food grains' under PM Garib Kalyan

Anna Yojana and 11.88 crore households got water tap connections.

In the tribal areas, 'five times more' Eklavya Residential Schools have been sanctioned since 2014 as compared to earlier. In terms of aspirations of urban population, sources said as many as 117 aspirational districts have surpassed the respective state average on development parameters. 

       

ends 

How 'Opposition Unity' can be self-defeating for Congress? 

New Delhi 

The so-called 'Opposition unity' is now a buzz phrase in Indian socio-political context. The mission is 'hate Modi' and so let us do anything to everything to ensure ouster of the Modi government.It is this spirit of motivated politics that is guiding the opposition parties to stay away from the historic occasion of dedication of the New Parliament building. 

They are staying away from it because the President Droupadi Murmu is not inaugurating the newly installed iconic building.  The politics of 'untouchability' has touched a new height. 

The Congress forgets its history pretty fast. It forgets how the Crown Prince treated India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a President in office when an Ordinance was torn into pieces at the Press Club of India. They forget once a President in office (created by Congress)had said - "If my leader had asked me to sweep her floor I would have done so, but she decided tomake me the President". 

Now, the Leftists - the self-styled 'ever virtuos'. The Brahminical style of politics the communists played-- enjoying power without responsibilities - have rendered them Zero-member strong in their once upona time forte West Bengal. Yet no lesson learnt, as the know-all self-centred ego is too much.

For the election of President of India in 2007, they said Shivraj Patil is not acceptable because of his 'soft approach' towards BJP -- but Patil was allowed to be India's Home Minister till 9/11 happened. They also said 'make Hamid Ansari - India's Vice President; and 'make anyone the President - we do not mind'. The Congress readily obliged.

Nevertheless the issue now is the 'Opposition unity' and can they stick together with permutations and combinationsand all cost-benefit analyses to ensure Modi's ouster?

Before we go deeper into the debate; one is tempted to observe that the so-called Opposition unity is actuallypro-regional satraps and is essentially against the interest of Congress. How? 

In West Bengal, state's most pro-minority Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is today nervous becausethe Muslim vote that was the 'key factor' in saving her in the 2021 assembly elections could be slowlyshifting towards the Congress-Communists combine. A few months ago, the Congress defeated her nominee in a by-election in Muslim-dominated Sagardighi assembly constituency of Murshidabad district.So here 'opposition unity' for Lok Sabha elections would mean --- Congress/Left will not field any candidateagainst Mamata's nominees. 

The Trinamool leadership is more irked by the fact that the Indian Secular Front (ISF) formed an influential cleric of the shrine of Furfura Sharif in Hooghly district Abbas Siddiqui is also with the Left-Congresscombine and ISF often attacks her.  So for Mamata -- opposition unity means -- Congress and even Communistsshould not contest as many seats as they want. In other words, she is keen to win those segments which are traditionally Congress or Left strongholds. 

Similarly, 'self-centred' opposition-unity politics is being pursued by Arvind Kejriwal, whose rise into Delhi'selectoral graph from the beginning has been at the cost of Congress.  The AAP has also benefited at the cost ofCongress in Punjab and in the western state of Gujarat too, it has damaged Congress prospects. 

Thus, for Kejriwal -- the so-called 'Opposition unity' will mean Congress should not contest polls in Delhiand Punjab. 

More such scenarios could be explained. But the moral of the story is these could all be part of attempts and conspiraciesto weaken the Congress further by forcing it to contest in a much lesser number of seats in 2024.

The big issue, can Congress see through these games? Yes and No -- both. Because the problem for Congressis -- it does not have many options at hand. Left to itself and Congress contesting around 400 seats if notmore, it does not have the chance of doing miracles -- even by the standard of 2009 when it won200 plus seats. 

Among its friends -- who can ditch the Congress also includes Samajwadi Party and its chief Akhilesh Yadav.This UP-based party has lost all sheen of its famous MY (Muslim-Yadav card). In 2014 and 2019 polls, itcould win only five Lok Sabha seats.Its performance in just concluded Urban Local Body polls too was not impressive. Hence it needs some tricksout of the box and one of them could be 'no candidate' by Congress in most Uttar Pradesh seats.

Among others, BSP of Ms Mayawati is hardly excited about the idea of 'Opposition unity' as shethinks having won 10 in 2019 Lok Sabha seats on her own strengths; she can improve her performanceand that will be crucial.Of course the Congress could always trust the Left parties at the national level because they may not betoo keen to allow Mamata Banerjee to become Prime Minister of India. Moreover, they always founda Congress government in the centre 'depending on communists support' as a more acceptablephenomenon. But given an opportunity they will not mind a non-entity like H D Deve Gowda becomeIndia's Prime Minister just because in such a situation their bargaining chips have better currency values.

For Congress, the outfits like NCP and DMK will stick to it but the same cannot be ever said of outfits suchas JD(U) of Nitsh Kumar. The Bihar chief minister wants to fulfill his lifetime ambition by using Congressas a mere stepping stone. 

Thus when the opposition parties talk of 'unity' of purpose and the road maps vis-a-vis 2024, what theyhave in mind is a Federal Front and Congress will be forced to 'extend outside support or join the governmentwith a few prized portfolios'. This was the experiment of 1996 when first Deve Gowda and later I K Gujral becamePrime Minister(s). In 1998, the BJP emerged single largest party winning 182 seats. Post-Kargil too, the BJP could win the same numberof seats and the Congress tally was 114. 

In 2018, Late Arun Jaitley summed up these Federal Front and 'opposition unity' tales pretty well when hesaid, the 2014 elections "conclusively established" that in the New India chemistry will scoreover arithmetic when it comes to deciding the country’s destiny.

"A federal front is a failed idea. Such a front with its contradictions, sooner or later, loses its balance and equilibrium. Remembering 1996-98 as perhaps one of the worst periods of governance....".

In the run up to the 2024 battle both in terms of both arithmetic and chemistry - things favour the BJP.

A stable government under a Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) who has delivered on his promisesas a catalyst of development will be more acceptable to Indians.

"Can the World's Largest Democracy Endure Another Five Years of a Modi Government?," wrote'Time' magazine before the 2019 general elections. They can write the same headlines evenin 2024.For our part - playing objective analysts - we can twist it a little and ask, "Can the World's Largest Democracy endure the next Five Years of a Deve Gowda type government?".

Paradoxically the answer could be traced in another article in the 'Time' magazine that says --"Modi has directed unprecedented amounts of money toward the country’s seemingly endless need for new infrastructure. Construction of roads, highways, public transport and airports have sharply increased the country’s long-term economic potential".

ends