The sudden reversal was triggered by protests outside the party headquarters in Jammu, a rare public expression of dissatisfaction with the leadership’s decisions. Such open dissension within the BJP was almost unheard of in the last decade, during which the party frequently criticised opposition parties, particularly the Congress, for their inability to maintain internal discipline.
This U-turn incident is not an isolated incident. Several similar setbacks occurred during the BJP’s third term in the central government, highlighting the challenges of coalition politics that have increasingly influenced the party’s governing style. While the BJP vigorously pursued its governing agenda in its first two terms, the realities of coalition dynamics have tempered this approach in the current term. Prime Minister Modi, who relies on the support of his allies to sustain his government, has found it necessary to accommodate their concerns more than before.
Recent U-turns in Modi’s third term
A notable turnaround occurred when the BJP government decided to stop the UPSC’s ‘lateral entry’ initiative, which aimed to recruit 45 officers from outside the traditional cadre for the civil services. The move drew criticism from opposition parties, who accused the government of trying to bypass reservations, and some key allies echoed these concerns. In response, the Modi government promptly asked the UPSC to withdraw the advertisement.
Waqf Law and Joint Parliamentary Committee
Another important example was the Waqf Bill, which was introduced to increase transparency in the working of state-level waqf bodies. Unlike in previous legislatures, where the BJP often bypassed calls for Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPCs) on controversial bills, the current government referred the Waqf Bill to a JPC after its allies pushed for a more thorough debate.
Change to a uniform pension insurance system
The Congress party also claims that the government’s decision to introduce the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), which guarantees a lifetime pension to government employees, was influenced by its allies. This is a departure from the BJP’s earlier support for the National Pension System (NPS), which linked pensions to the accumulated value of contributions and was touted as a fiscally prudent model for the states.
Coalition dynamics reflected in the budget
The coalition partners’ influence on Modi 3.0 was also evident in the first Union Budget of the current term, in which Andhra Pradesh and Bihar received special grants and key projects. While the Modi government did not grant these states official special status as their leaders Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar had demanded, it ensured that they were satisfied with other significant grants.
Input from TOI
