Suddenly, PM Modi believes that “consensus” is necessary to lead India well

“I, Narendra Modi, I swear in the name of God That I will show sincere faith and loyalty to the Constitution of India as prescribed by law. the The scene in the center of the Indian capital, New DelhiOn Sunday, things went as expected long before the elections: a third term for Prime Minister Modi, who has been making his mark on the country for a decade. But the swearing-in of other government members showed a different and more mixed lineup than expected. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party is not the only supplier to the new government this time. There are also members of the government from other parties. These coalition partners previously supported the government only from Parliament.

Compared to 2019, Modi’s Hindu nationalist party lost many seats in Parliament – falling from 303 to 240 seats. This result is a far cry from the 400 that he himself predicted. With the number of seats for political parties finally decided on Wednesday, Modi’s aura appears to have diminished somewhat. Indian political scientists and opponents of the BJP talk of a country that “feels lighter,” where religious minorities and progressives may have more room to breathe.

“The opposition has shone”

The big newspaper Hindustan Times newspaper Opposition parties, especially Modi’s biggest rival, the National Congress Party, made headlines after the elections. has “shined”, an analysis shared by other Indian media. The Prime Minister must learn lessons from this matter regarding his tone and policy, this is the essence of the matter. Now the BJP suddenly has to share the attention: while Modi was trying to secure his required majority last week, opposition parties’ press conferences were also broadcast. This has hardly happened before.

The media’s preferential treatment of Modi is an example of the “unequal playing field” with which this election took place. The BJP seemed to have the upper hand, and the Congress and other opposition parties faced opposition: they barely got airtime, and campaign funds were frozen, perhaps at the request of the Financial Investigative Services. The election results are seen as evidence of the strength of the rule of law and democracy in India. Turns out the biggest election in the world is all about voters voting.

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The gains of Congress, which has almost doubled the number of seats in Parliament (from 52 in 2019 to 99), are even more impressive considering the opposition, senior political scientist and activist Yogendra Yadav said on television channel NDTV. Yadav was one of the few who were not previously convinced by the BJP’s overwhelming majority. last week Tuesday “We have to realize that reality has changed, even if Prime Minister Modi has five more years to go,” he calmly explained to a TV presenter. “There is a difference between forming a government and getting an electoral mandate.”

Indian academic and publicist Pratap Bhanu Mehta described the Indian Express how “Balance has been restored.”: Modi turns out to be “just like any politician, just as people want him to be.”

Such an ordinary politician has to negotiate his power. The BJP agreed to join hands with fifteen other parties, again under the name of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). More parties are now serving as government ministers, and together the coalition holds 292 seats out of 543 in Parliament.

Yadav explained what might emerge from the results: Opposition parties, led by Congress, may be able to make their voice heard more in Parliament, even through open debate. The media may see the importance of critically questioning the government. Now that Indians know that their votes can make a difference, they may dare to demand more and protest.

Passionate about fake news

So far, Modi has been everywhere. His face was on every billboard in town. His will was also an unwritten law, more or less. Residential areas where protests against government policies were held were razed to the ground. Muslims were cut to the sword by angry neighbors instigated by fake news spread in pro-BJP WhatsApp groups.

“This tyranny will go further,” she said in May. In bright red letters on the cover From Progressive Magazine The caravan. In this edition of the critical monthly magazine, the authors show that the Modi 3.0 regime’s dubious plans for an Indian Hindu nationalist state would mean “the destruction of the republic.” also Norwegian Refugee Council “It’s going to get worse,” I heard from activists and concerned citizens many times.

This fear went hand in hand with the expected numerical superiority. For a third term of the government, the BJP is said to be preparing far-reaching Hindu nationalist policies. The Constitution will be amended for this purpose. Consequently, countries will lose control. He wanted to abolish regulations on Muslim, Christian or other religious marriages. In the Hindu nation-state that Modi envisions, people from other religious groups are considered second-class citizens.

But such radical amendments require a two-thirds majority. The BJP doesn’t have that. Indeed, some of the NDA’s cabinet partners are strongly committed to the secular character of the Indian state. Now there is cautious hope for a transition to democracy. “Thanks to the election results, as a non-practicing Hindu, I don’t have to be ashamed of wearing orange,” said a relaxed young woman at a wedding in the city of Hyderabad, pointing to the luxurious sari she was wearing. Orange and saffron is the color worn by Hindu priests and also used by the BJP and Modi.

It is not yet known exactly what the new system will look like. Among the ministers who took oath on Sunday were Modi supporters like Amit Shah and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who previously held important posts (Minister of Home Affairs and External Relations). They have retained these crucial ministries, but this was not yet known for other cabinet positions on Monday afternoon. Distribution may still have an impact on the policy this government will implement.

Beginner course

Alliances have occurred before in India, but power in the past decade has been in the hands of one party and one man. This weekend, many posts circulated on social media about a “beginner’s course”, especially for young people who are not used to this system: “At any time, a coalition party can decide that it does not agree with the policy. Then the cabinet falls. “So, if Modi forms a government, he should continue to consult with others.”

There is a lot of speculation about whether the Prime Minister can do this. At the economic level, it is evaluated practically. Modi immediately showed some adaptability. On the evening of the election results, he did not talk much about himself – or about Ram, the Hindu god he often quotes, but he did praise the NDA. Regarding the negotiations, he said on Friday: “A majority is needed to lead the government.” But to lead the nation, consensus is necessary.”

Despite his moderate public appearance, it cannot be ruled out that Modi may seek revenge behind closed doors in…Anti-citizens In the press, activists and opposition politicians. In the previous two terms, the BJP used other mechanisms to assert its power: police and tax authorities, which should be formally independent, dealt with political enemies and judges were put under pressure or rewarded. It seems unlikely that the party will abandon such methods completely.

During the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday evening, Modi was visibly emotional as he looked at the thousands of people who had gathered for the ceremony. Perhaps these sentiments also included pride in an achievement that he could cling to, regardless of the number of seats: only India’s first ever prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, managed to win three terms.

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