Differing views among NDA partners on UCC, Agnipath

The UCC has been a pet project of the BJP; however, the lack of a Lok Sabha majority makes it reliant on allies more than earlier, even as Narendra Modi is set to become India’s prime minister for a third consecutive term. The UCC is proposed to replace India’s personal laws based on religion, customs and traditions with one common law.

“We have just entered into the alliance for government formation. So, let things settle down first," said a senior leader of Janata Dal (United), one of the larger constituents of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “However, we want to make it very clear that the JD(U) will not support any legislation that may dishonour the social fabric of the country."

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UCC not a priority

K.C. Tyagi, national spokesperson for the JD(U), added: “Our stand on the UCC remains unchanged. We still believe in consulting all stakeholders. Once the government is formed, we will call a stakeholders’ consultation to discuss it further."

A senior TDP politician said the UCC was not a priority for the party. “Our manifesto is very clear. We have received the mandate for development and social welfare, and this will remain our top priority," the TDP leader said, also requesting anonymity. “The UCC is not on our agenda."

TDP spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari and the BJP’s national general secretary, Arun Singh, declined to comment, while queries emailed to JD(U)’s spokesperson and BJP president J.P. Nadda remained unanswered.

Unhappiness over Agnipath 

Many NDA partners are also not happy about the Agnipath recruitment scheme, which had sparked widespread protests after its launch in June 2022 as youth agitated over potential lack of job security. In his election rallies, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had highlighted the problems with the scheme.

JD(U)’s Tyagi asked for addressing what he termed “shortcomings" in the Agnipath scheme. “A section of voters has been upset over the Agniveer scheme. Our party’s stand is that the shortcomings of the scheme, which have also been questioned by the public, should be discussed and removed," Tyagi added.

The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), part of NDA, also demanded a relook at the scheme stating it caused much disgruntlement among unemployed youth who aspire for permanent positions in the army. “We must revisit how much we could deliver through the Agnipath scheme," party leader Chirag Paswan told NDTV.

Caste census in the picture

Tyagi of JD(U) also pressed for a countrywide caste census, which was first done in Bihar. “No party has said no to caste census. Bihar has paved the way for it. Even the Prime Minister did not oppose the caste census when he met an all-party delegation. That’s why caste census is the need of the hour. So, we will pursue it."

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The comments by leaders from TDP, JD(U) and LJP(RV) are significant given the new political reality in New Delhi, where the BJP, with 240 MPs is dependent on allies to make up the numbers required to form a government. To be sure, with 293 MPs, NDA has a comfortable majority.

“Not only are the alliance partners expressing concerns, but discussions have also begun within the party cadre about the potential negative impact of implementing the UCC," said political analyst Arvind Mohan. “There is a growing sentiment that taking such a step could turn futile for the party (BJP) and result in the loss of seats in upcoming assembly elections," Mohan said.  Elections are due later this year in Maharashtra and Haryana.

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“The case of West Bengal and Assam is an eye-opener for the BJP. In these two states, the BJP had an edge over other parties, but in the final verdict, the arithmetic changed," said Shivesh Garg, a political analyst. “The only reason for this shift was the announcement of the rollout of the CAA in West Bengal just before the polls." The government notified the rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act on 11 March, four years after the Bill was passed in Parliament and just a few days prior to the announcement of the Lok Sabha election dates.

With inputs from HT Correspondent.