2024-09-03 10:52:28
New Delhi: After the results of the general elections, the country’s politics has changed rapidly. Contrary to expectations, in the Lok Sabha elections, BJP remained far from the target of getting majority on its own for the third time in a row and once again the era of coalition government in the true sense began. Since then, there have been several developments within the central government, which brought to the fore the compulsions of the coalition government. For example, take the U-turn on lateral entry, or the matter of sending the Wakf Board Amendment Bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) or the matter of pension. Similarly, special care was taken of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh in the budget. On all these developments, the opposition had only one thing to say that this is the effect of BJP getting less than a majority, i.e. 240 Lok Sabha seats. At the same time, BJP is calling it a strategy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy of taking everyone along. According to experts, coalition government has natural compulsions, but it is too early to accept any opinion as final right now.
The opposition is in no mood to relent
The opposition, encouraged by the general election results, does not want to miss a single opportunity to put pressure on the central government and BJP. From Parliament to outside it, new energy was seen in other opposition parties including Congress. Be it the issue of NEET or caste census, the opposition was successful in putting pressure on the government. To a large extent, it also indirectly got the support of BJP’s allies in this. For example, NDA constituent TDP demanded to send the Waqf Board Amendment Bill to JPC. Similarly, voices of protest against lateral entry were raised by Nitish Kumar’s party JDU and Chirag Paswan.
A leader associated with the opposition says that for the first time in the last few years, BJP is seen under pressure. In such a situation, if they reduce the pressure now, then BJP can make a comeback. Obviously, the opposition will remain aggressive. However, it knows that the Narendra Modi-led central government and BJP will counter-attack. In such a situation, the elections of Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir Assembly become very important. The opposition knows that if the results in these states come in its favor, then it will be easier to put pressure on BJP. But, if BJP’s performance is better, then the road ahead will become very difficult for the opposition. This is the reason why the opposition is paying a lot of attention to these elections.
Agreement to defeat BJP
The opposition does not want to give any chance to BJP. This is why a senior Congress leader said that Congress is ready to set aside its interests to compromise with its allies in these electoral states. The party did the same in Jammu and Kashmir. The party is contesting on fewer seats than the National Conference. Similarly, despite a better performance in Maharashtra during the Lok Sabha elections, Congress is showing flexibility in seat sharing with its alliance partners. When questions were raised on these matters from within the party, the top leadership argued that if the opposition wins in these states, Congress will also benefit a lot in the coming times and BJP will fall rapidly.
‘No pressure, no change’
BJP does not want to give much importance to this political discussion. The party claims that neither the stand of the Modi government has changed on any issue nor has there been any change in the way of working. According to party leaders, even earlier the Modi government tried to gather consensus. They give the example of how the farmers bill was withdrawn in a government with full majority and an attempt was made to build consensus on CAA even though BJP alone had more than 300 seats. Whenever needed, the government always showed a change attitude by listening to all the parties. BJP leaders also show decisions like withdrawing the land acquisition bill in 2015 and making several amendments in GST.
BJP has also been rejecting the argument that it is under pressure from allies. Party leaders give examples of the past when the views of allies were given importance in the government. But, amid these arguments and claims, the general perception is that the election results of June 4 have affected the central government and its credibility has weakened somewhere. Whether this perception will become stronger or weaker in the future will be decided largely by the results of the assembly elections. Till then this political debate will continue and every decision of the government will be seen through the same lens.