NDA 3.0: Coalition Dharma
The India Commentary view
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By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2024-06-05 03:20:36
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The India Commentary view
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In an
surprising verdict, India's voters showed immense maturity to rubbish claims of
400 paar and exit poll calculations to end BJPs (and NDAs) brute majority of
two successive Lok Sabha elections and gave the INDIA alliance a lot of clout
by voting in a strong opposition to keep a check on the ruling party. This
time, the BJP got it all wrong, did not keep its ear to the ground and could
not build a narrative that could send voters scurrying to the polling booths to
press the lotus button. The Ram Mandir did not work for it (the party lost the
Faizabad LS seat which includes Ayodhya), neither did the impressive GDP
numbers nor the welfare policies. Anti-incumbency was strong - but not strong
enough to dislodge the NDA which returns will a vastly reduced majority.
In UP, Modi's
refrain of 'do shehzade' in reference to the status of Rahul Gandhi and
Akhilesh Yadav fell flat as the voters plumped for the two so-called princes
and left the BJP high and dry. Six of NDA ministers, including the high profile
Smriti Irani, lost in the state and PM Modi's victory margin was reduced from
4.8 lakh in 2019 to just 1.5 lakh this time. The losses in UP were too big and
could not be made up elsewhere and it meant that the party did not secure a
majority on its own for the first time since 2014. In the process, the party
will now form the government by accommodating fickle allies like Chandrababu
Naidu and Nitish Kumar who have a record of leaving alliances. Already, the Congress
is saying that it will send feelers to the two on behalf of the INDIA alliance
to explore the possibility of forming a government with their help.
It is now
clear that NDA 3.0 will not be a stable government as it has unreliable allies
and a strong opposition bloc breathing down its neck. Yet, it has the mandate
and must get down to work. Prime Minister Modi has already thanked the people
for giving NDA a historic third mandate and has said that the crusade against
corruption will continue. But with wings clipped, the new government will not
be able to rush through legislation in Parliament and use central agencies in a
discriminatory manner. NDA 3.0 must work for development and must weed out
controversial items on the BJP agenda to provide a stable government.
