The Modi blitzkrieg : The Tribune India

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The Modi blitzkrieg

In 2014 India got a new Prime Minister in Narendra Modi.

The Modi blitzkrieg

After Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister in May, he has consolidated his hold over both the government and the party



Nirmal Sandhu

In 2014 India got a new Prime Minister in Narendra Modi. Also, for the first time in three decades, a single party secured a clear majority in the Lok Sabha. Led by Modi, the BJP inflicted a crushing defeat, on the ruling Congress, reducing it to the lowest-ever tally of 44 seats.
 It was Modi's victory all the way. The country moved from a quiet, soft-spoken, intellectual Prime Minister to the one who is pragmatic, down-to-earth, a trained public speaker and a performer on stage. If Sonia Gandhi's politics of appeasement stopped Dr Manmohan Singh from pushing reforms, RSS chief Mohan Bhagvat has set his Hindutva agenda for Team Modi, which, if unchecked, could provoke a backlash.
If Manmohan Singh kept silent in the face of open plundering of natural resources, Modi is soft towards firebrand Hindutva elements and hate-mongers, who play divisive politics, resort to 'love jihad' or provoke communal riots for votes. Loose cannons are mushrooming. If growth and governance are a priority, then peace is a precondition.
Dr Manmohan Singh had little control over his ministers as they reported to Sonia Gandhi. Coalition partners demanded, and got, ministries of their choice. Modi, on the other hand, has centralised power, though he talks of decentralisation. He governs through secretaries, undermining the authority of ministers. Hard working, punctual, energetic, paying attention to detail —these are qualities that shaped Modi's rise to the top position. Until not long ago he was demonised for his questionable role in the 2002 Muslim killings.  Now much of the media has turned an uncritical Modi admirer.
Dismissive of an outsider, the political elites in Delhi, including some in the BJP, resisted his rise, but mass support lifted Modi's, and the BJP's, fortunes. Modi does not forget — or forgive. He has silenced and sidelined his opponents.
A tireless, marathon campaign ensured Modi a victory beyond expectations. He picked his team carefully, rewarding loyalty, and also talent, issuing even an ordinance to appoint his Principal Secretary. After the government, he captured the party, handing its reins to his trusted lieutenant, Amit Shah. Now he eyes control of the Rajya Sabha, which requires winning quite a few state elections. Normally, prime ministers avoid state-level electioneering. But Modi is preparing for a long haul and he knows his appeal is not forever. Already, his government's ability to deliver is being questioned. No one talks of "acche din" anymore. Prices are down because of a sharp fall in crude prices and the RBI's tight monetary policy, not because of any governmental action.
Modi's tall electoral promises are beginning to backfire. The Congress asks: "Where is the Rs15 lakh Modi promised to deposit in the bank account of every Indian family after bringing back black money stashed abroad?" Only lame excuses and explanations in defence. The Modi government told the Supreme Court what the UPA had said: names of black money holders can't be disclosed due to bilateral treaties.
Modi has not used his appeal for tough economic measures. That is because reforms could thwart his political goal of winning state polls. The "Make in India" campaign requires changes in the land and labour laws. The focus on construction industry, manufacturing, tourism, digital India and "Swachh Bharat" is all right but infrastructural bottlenecks stay. Of course, seven months is too short a period to judge a Prime Minister. Yet the start has not matched the hype. Where is the change?

 


A will of iron: Civil rights activist Irom  Sharmila was re-arrested soon after her release after 14 years, on fresh charges of attempt to commit suicide                                  

A father is born: In ND Tiwari's long-standing paternity tussle with Rohit Shekhar, the Delhi High Court on April 24 declared Shekhar as Tiwari's biological son

Birth of a new state:  Telangana was separated from Andhra Pradesh as the 29th state of India in June fulfilling a long-pending demand of the region’s people                                   

A clean sweep:  People from all walks of life actively participated in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, launched by the Prime Minister in October

The unwilling hunter: A white tiger  killed a young man,  who appeared to have jumped over a barricade into an enclosure at a Delhi zoo                                           

Highest Degree: A teacher by profession, Anandiben Mafatbhai Patel became the first woman Chief Minister of Gujarat in May                                                                  

 

 

 

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