The 2023 assembly election results in four states clearly show that people of India have realised and accepted the difference between false promises of the opposition and the guarantees of the Narendra Modi government. In three of the four states—Telangana, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh—citizens have voted against the incumbent. In these three states, parties opposed to the BJP were in power. Contrast this with Madhya Pradesh where the BJP was in power for almost three decades and still won handsomely.
The verdict of the people is clear. They are disillusioned with opposition parties’ credibility, their will to deliver, their model of governance, and their lack of vision or mission. People’s frustration with the opposition is also because of false promises made to them in earlier state elections. The Congress had promised farmers in Madhya Pradesh it would waive their loans but it failed to deliver on that promise after coming to power.
Similarly, the Congress promised the return of the old pension scheme (OPS) in Himachal Pradesh but has not delivered on it yet. In Karnataka, people supported the Congress based on its promises but now Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar says that he will have to divert funds of Rs 40,000 crore from developmental activities to fulfil poll promises. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had promised moon to the people of Delhi, but its failure has been comprehensive. Through electricity subsidy, the Delhi government is creating regulatory assets by postponing liability to future generations. In Rajasthan, the number of beneficiaries of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s Rs 25 lakh Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme is a mystery while for Ayushman Bharat scheme, according to the PM, has crossed one crore.
Modi is delivering on his promises in every aspect—whether it is the penetration of the government’s social welfare schemes to every individual without any corruption and leakages or raising the global profile of India. The Prime Minister has been able to generate resources for the effective implementation of such schemes. The Indian economy is booming, our fiscal consolidation glide path is in place, inflation is coming under control, we are attracting one of the highest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the world, and our GDP growth rate is among the highest.
Private investment and capital expenditure by public sector undertakings (PSUs) is continuously growing. Every PSU under the Modi government is writing a new growth story. Infrastructure development in roads, railways, airports, ports, bridges, freight corridors is unprecedented. Our Prime Minister is not only talking about India’s growth but also saying that the country is becoming the growth engine for the world. The world is looking towards India for catalysing economic growth in the next two decades and wants to participate in that growth.
Also read: BJP sweeps heartland in Rajasthan, MP & Chhattisgarh. Consolation prize for Congress in Telangana
India’s growth story
The perception about India and its leadership among the global leaders has completely changed. India’s voice is getting recognition in every global platform, whether it’s G20, World Bank, IMF, Quad, or in the issue of permanent membership of the UN Security Council. Even in global conflicts like Israel-Palestine, US-Iran or Ukraine-Russia, Modi’s voice is recognised and is considered important. He has kept India’s interest at the forefront, from oil imports to India’s refusal to participate in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). India has continued its oil procurement from Russia and has taken the initiative to build a freight corridor through Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Greece to Europe to counter the BRI.
India’s prestige and recognition in the world arena will make any Indian proud. With the successful completion of the G20 summit, our digital public infrastructure for good and efficient governance is finding resonance across the world. The goodwill generated by our initiative of offering a digital public infrastructure ecosystem to the world, particularly to African countries, is immense. Similarly, during the Covid-19 pandemic, India took the initiative to discontinue patents on vaccines and offered cheap and free vaccines to countries around the world through the Vaccine Maitri programme.
Indians are now aspiring for a good life and peaceful living. If the economy is progressing, we are able to generate resources for building infrastructure and social welfare, and keep macroeconomic parameters on sound footing. In our federal structure, the last mile connectivity for governance lies with the states, but the resources to the states come from the Centre’s kitty—whether it’s through devolution of taxes from the GST or direct taxes amounting to 42 per cent, or through centrally sponsored schemes. Funds for schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna come from the Centre. If the Centre can generate enough resources, then there is handsome devolution and fulfilment of all schemes. This we see in GST or direct tax collection, or in profits generated by the PSU.
People have recognised the benefits of a ‘double engine sarkar’—where the state government aligns and works in cooperation and coordination with the central government, and where the penetration of welfare schemes is better and efficient. People, when faced with a choice between false promises and Modi guarantee, have demonstrated their preference clearly. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the opposition has run out of weapons to counter the Modi juggernaut and the writing on the wall is clear even for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. People are sure to elect decisive leadership in 2024 as well.
Gopal Krishna Agarwal is the national spokesperson of the BJP. Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)