All of us witnessed the recent general elections wherein Congress party was reduced to a minimal 44 seats in a large 543 seat house. The voter this time voted on the parameters of governance and development on which accounts the congress party completely failed.
The congress regime was marked by misgovernance, corruption and price rise which caused their complete decimation, not just from the parliament but in the subsequent state elections as well. People now have completely rejected the prospect of Congress party as a viable option for leading a state, let alone the country.
But, the concern of this project is not “the decimation of congress party”; rather it is the “role of opposition in Indian politics”.
We did witness the mandate given to the BJP and the complete whitewash of the congress party from the scene of Indian politics. But while this was a reflection of their lackluster performance, in power, for ten years, it also goes to show that people are more aware today than they were before, and people are voting not just on the basis of caste or community but on actual issues of development and progress. So while this complete rejection is a wakeup call for the congress party, it is also accompanied by the ill effects of such a massive mandate, and such great power in single hands(Narendra Modi). People’s perception of BJP, and Narendra Modi, as a one stop solution to every problem is indeed a hollow one.
The BJP is a party influenced by Hindu Nationalism. So, while the BJP led government has garnered accolades from every corner of the world for its “Good Governance”, the ill effects of such a majoritarian government are profound. While they make decisions for a particular majority of the country, those decisions may not be so well suited for the minorities. And just because the BJP is in power and in complete majority, they are pushing through bills which are not in complete favor of the citizens.
A perfect example of this is the Land Amendment Bill. While the entire political fraternity is against this bill, the BJP having a majority in the Lok Sabha has already passed this bill in the lower house and is leaving no stone unturned to get this bill passed through the upper house as well. Now, the primary reason behind this is that there is no party having substantial numbers to constitute a concrete opposition to the BJP in the parliament. Had there been a solid opposition, with adequate numbers, then even the BJP would be forced to reconsider its decision and make proper amends to the bill.
Another example of the need of an opposition is the funding of the states by the center. While the states which are represented by the BJP at the state level are being heavily funded, the ones which are ruled by other parties are merely being ignored. This is because; the states being ruled by other parties are not able to pose a real threat to the central government and hence are being neglected.
Taking into account the states which have no representation of the BJP such as Mizoram and Manipur, why would the greedy MPs want to benefit the areas which they don’t govern? So for these states to get their due of power and money, they need a strong representative, a strong opposition to the majoritarian central government.
Lastly, most of the MP’s from BJP are first time MPs. So they are not well verse with the dignity and aura associated with being a parliamentarian and often indulges in making irresponsible and insensible statements. The presence of a solid opposition could keep a check on such activities and cause the government and its parliamentarians to think before they speak.
A perfect example of which is the Delhi Elections, wherein the complete landslide victory of the Aam Admi party made the BJP realize that they are not an invincible force and made the “outspoken” BJP members speak wisely. It has made them introspect and reflect upon their decisions and statements.
A perfect example of which is the Delhi Elections, wherein the complete landslide victory of the Aam Admi party made the BJP realize that they are not an invincible force and made the “outspoken” BJP members speak wisely. It has made them introspect and reflect upon their decisions and statements.
Hence, the conclusion that we can draw from this is that while a complete majority government is good for governance, but a solid opposition is also an equal necessity, not just to keep a check on the government but also to make them reflect upon their wrongs and correct them.
-Himanshu
