The new National Democratic Alliance government completes 100 days in power today, September 16. In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s previous terms, the first 100 days were marked by grandiose announcements and conscious strides to diminish the inclusive nature of Indian public life. 2024 paints a starkly different picture.
The humbling at the elections has taken away the sheen that masked the garish propaganda. The government now appears directionless, the ruling party in a disarray, and with each passing day, it becomes apparent that this government is running on borrowed time.
The chinks in the armour were visible soon after the general elections. Modi did not hold the customary meeting of the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party members of parliament but rushed to convene an NDA meeting and install himself as prime minister. It showed his shaken confidence in his standing among his party colleagues and the Sangh Parivar. After the election results, senior functionaries of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh publicly questioned the BJP leadership, even going so far as to label them arrogant.
Modi, long used to having an iron grip over the BJP, is now confronted with dissent from the parent body. A year and 10 days from now, RSS will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Adept at grasping the public mood, it has probably dawned on the RSS leadership that people have seen through the chimera and going forward will be less forgiving of the rampant economic mismanagement and cronyism. It no longer wants to throw in its lot with one leader and that explains the conscientious statements that had been missing in the last decade. As it nears a century, it will seek greater control over the BJP, which explains the delay in the appointment of a new party president.
The party itself is in a disarray. In Jammu and Kashmir, BJP was forced to recall its list of candidates after significant backlash from its cadres. In Haryana, the rift within the different camps has all but ensured its defeat. The famed party discipline has dissipated.
After having lost majority in the Lok Sabha, the BJP looks listless.
Its government presented a budget that was a tacit acknowledgment of the government’s failures over the last decade. In response to the unemployment crisis, the finance minister announced a five-scheme package, including the employment-linked incentives for corporates and a large-scale internship programme – both ideas borrowed from the Congress manifestos. Yet, more than a month after the announcement, there are no takers for the proposals. The latest GDP data shows that the economy is still reeling from the previous misadventures, with the GDP growth rate in the first quarter of this financial year falling to 6.7%.
At a time when people are still recovering from the income losses, food and fertiliser subsidies have been reduced. MGNREGS, the lifeline of rural India, has been kept stagnant when this financial year 5.8 crore people have demanded jobs already and 25 lakh new persons have been included in the job cards.
Also read: To Think of Modi 3.0 as Less Dangerous Would Be a Misreading
Allocations for crop insurance scheme, urea subsidy, and nutrient based subsidy have been reduced. Like MGNREGS, allocation for PM Kisan has not been increased despite more people becoming eligible each year.
The highlight of this year’s budget was BJP’s complete capitulation before the NDA partners. During the budget speech, there were moments it felt that we had been transported from parliament to legislative assemblies of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. Several proposals were focused only on the two states. In its obsession to hold on to power, BJP used the union budget as a device to appease its allies.
Accustomed to ignoring democratic practices, the loss of majority has brought about one welcome change, i.e. the return of stakeholder consultations. Sensing intense opposition to the Waqf and the Broadcasting Bills, the former was sent to a joint parliamentary committee and the latter shelved with the government claiming that it will consult the stakeholders.
U-turns abound in NDA 3.0. The indexation benefits have been restored after the outcry following the announcement of their removal in the budget. The process of lateral entry in civil services has been paused. Reportedly, the Agniveer scheme will be reviewed and a new compensation mechanism will be put in place. A Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) has been rolled out after claiming for years that the New Pension Scheme was the most feasible economic solution. While the details of UPS are yet to fully emerge, its announcement shows that the government lacks any will for reform and will merrily walk back on policies it championed in previous terms.
The government’s policy continuity seems to be in the economic model that favours the super-rich while discarding public welfare. Indian economy is crying for reforms that will ensure inclusive development and create wealth for all groups. The 100 days are an indication that the government lacks stomach for any serious policy change. Its sole objective is to hold on to power.
The 100th day of the government is also the eve of Modi’s birthday. Here’s wishing him best of luck with hope that his government will take U-turns from the misgovernance of the last decade.
Akash Satyawali is national coordinator, All India Congress Committee research department and co-author of The Fifteen: The Lives and Times of the Women in India’s Constituent Assembly.
Kulisha Mishra is former national secretary, Indian Youth Congress and a public policy enthusiast.
