Will Modi now successfully lead a coalition?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is selected as Prime Minister again by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Wednesday, a day after his party BJP fell short of the majority mark. In 2014 and 2019, the BJP had its majority to run the government and allies were literally sidelined. Now BJP had only 240 MPs, short of 32 MPs to cross the majority mark of 272 in Lok Sabha. Here the question is can Narendra Modi manage a coalition alliance, that mainly depends on 28 MPs of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal United (JDU)?
Chandra Babu Naidu headed TDP and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar headed JDU are hard-core bargainers and masters in breaking and jumping into any sides for a long time. Narendra Modi never managed a coalition government and dealt with allies very badly when the BJP had a majority. BJP’s long-time allies like Shiv Sena and Akali Dal left NDA due to the style of functioning of Modi and his lieutenant Amit Shah.
From 2014, Modi was unkind to allies. TDP left the NDA alliance in late 2018 and joined with UPA. Nitish Kumar’s JDU has always had a love-hate relationship with Modi and they parted and joined several times. Akali Dal left the NDA alliance on non-consulting in farm laws, which ignited a series of protests across the country, forcing Modi to withdraw. Modi and Amit Sha’s working style was objected Shiv Sena and they were hounded by probe agencies, leading to the split of Shiv Sena.
In Modi’s cabinet meetings, even BJP’s Ministers did not dare to speak. His office (PMO) directly deals with Government Secretaries, avoiding elected Ministers. Rarely do some ministers like Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari present their versions. For the past 10 years, Modi’s working style was just me, mine, and myself only, and even each train were inaugurated by him, giving no chance to Railway ministers.
Modi’s cabinet meetings hardly had any discussions and just Modi dictated and his bureaucracy delivered it, ignoring the ministers. Though democratically elected, Modi’s style of functioning was not at all suitable to democratic ways. It is a well-known thing that the Union Budget which was supposed to be prepared by the Finance Minister was prepared in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). One Finance Secretary was kicked out on the next day of the Budget presentation in Parliament when the PMO found some changes were made by him.
Now Modi’s style of functioning will be controlled or dictated by major alliance partners like TDP and JDU. They will demand good posts and good portfolios and to continue in Prime Minister’s post, Modi will be forced to agree to any such demands. The question is how long Narendra Modi can handle a coalition government with smart bargaining allies. What price does he have to pay to maintain the perennial goal-post changing TDP and JDU, to maintain the government for the next five years?
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Blame Modi for soft peddling corrupt & protecting corrupt politicians. Flithy characters joing BJP & that brought sewerage into BJP which a shock of its life. More such shocks are required to BJP which talks big. No doubt it has done some good things, it took middle class granted & ignored it. NOT one institution has improved its delivery process under BJP.
Do not see any problems. The differences with both the TDP and JUD is past have been over issues of protecting their minority vote banks, not on the economic policies or issues related to going after the corrupt. Both of them have walked into the coalition knowing fully well the uncompromising attitude of the PM on corruption. The hindutva can be softened in the larger interest but not war on corrupt. This where Modi cannot be inclusive like Bajepai