BackNarendra Modi government completes 30 days in power, 1,796 to go
Political analysts and at least some members of the general public believe the NDA is off to a good start
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New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s first milestone, 30 days in office, was marred by an early morning train accident involving the Dibrugarh-bound Rajdhani Express in which four passengers were killed and 23 injured, and an unseemly controversy over the selection of former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium as a Supreme Court judge.
The immediate casualty of the accident was the dinner engagement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his 40 cabinet member belonging to the BJP were to attend at the party office. The dinner was intended to bring better coordination between the government and the party cadres.
The two discordant notes apart, political analysts and at least some members of the general public believe the NDA is off to a good start.
Analysts point to clear lines of authority and some smart opening moves as far as foreign policy is concerned.
The BJP was voted into office on 16 May with a majority of 282 seats. The NDA has 335. In its first month in office, the NDA has streamlined the government, reconstituted cabinet committees, and signalled a consolidation of powers under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“It is too early to judge the performance of the government. But the larger trend that is visible in the first 30 days of the government is the very hands-on approach to governance by the Prime Minister’s Office. It is a similar approach to what was followed in Gujarat (where Modi was chief minister between 2001 and 2014) though it remains to be seen how it will work in the centre," said Rajesh Chakrabarti, executive director at Bharti Institute of Public Policy, and a member of the faculty at the Indian School of Business, Mohali campus. “The advantage of such an approach is that it speeds up decision making and helps avoid inter-ministerial logjam."
However, it has drawn considerable flak for its decision to raise railway ticket tariffs.
The United Progressive Alliance is in shambles and the NDA government didn’t make a single wrong move in the past 30 days, but it could have done more, said Sandeep Shastri, a political analyst and pro vice chancellor of Jain University, Bangalore.
It could have asserted itself more, especially when clashes killed a young Muslim man in Pune, he added.
“The government is facing an expectation overload," Shastri said.
The month began with a significant recalibration of foreign policy with Modi inviting the heads of state of India’s South Asian neighbours and members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation to his inaugural ceremony. He also made Bhutan the destination of his first overseas visit as prime minister.
A section of public that Mint spoke to had mixed responses, with some appreciative of the constraints within which the government was operating.
“The government has done some decisive things including reducing the (number of) ministries and shifting the line of action to the PMO itself. Inflation is an issue but it cannot be rectified immediately unless the problem of hoarding is taken care of," said Amrit Pal Singh Dhaliwal, a 27-year-old market researcher based in Delhi.
Pal, who belongs to Punjab, added that the government’s key focus should be on improving manufacturing competitiveness and providing basic infrastructure.
However, Sangeeta Sahni, a 47 year-old professional, differed. “It is too early to judge the government in one month. But at least in Delhi, the problem of basic services like electricity and water supply have increased and the government has not been able to provide any relief."
The government’s political opponents were similarly critical.
“The BJP had made false claims about containing inflation in the run-up to the elections. Despite the fact that people of the country went all out to vote for them, the common public is left disillusioned in the last one month," said Shobha Oza, a Congress spokesperson. She also added that the government is turning “bureaucracy into autocracy" and is silent on crimes against women.
Brinda Karat, politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said: “During the election campaign they had said acche din aane wale hain and soon after that they said that we have to take a bitter pill. And this bitter pill is for workers and poor people. Labour reforms were against workers, railway fare burden would take a hit on the working class."
“Acche din aane wale hain", literally translated to “good days are here", was the election slogan of Modi which he extensively used in his election campaign which focused on governance, development and growth.
Some experts believe the government will be tested in the next few months as it sets out its plan on reviving the economy.
“The government should focus on economy, governance, infrastructure rebuilding and building of institutions which are not affected by politics. It should throw out old rules of governance and the new era of industrialization should commence," Shiv Vishvanathan, a New Delhi-based sociologist and professor at the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy in Haryana.
Remya Nair contributed to the story.
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