India’s current government is led by the Bharatiya Janta Party or the BJP. It is also the country’s largest national party. It was formed in 1980, though its origins lie in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was founded in 1951. The Jana Sangh was closely associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization that continues to play a significant role in shaping the BJP’s ideology.
The party first came to power at the center in 1996, but its government lasted only 13 days. It returned to power in 1998, forming a coalition under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister. His tenure saw India conducting nuclear tests in 1998, economic reforms, and a focus on infrastructure development. However, the BJP lost power in 2004 to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
The BJP made a historic comeback in 2014 by securing 282 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha, with Narendra Modi as India’s prime minister. Major policy changes include the revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 that criminalized triple talaq in India.
The government’s handling of several protests and crises has faced widespread scrutiny. The 2020–2021 farmer protests, which were sparked by the controversial farm laws that were later repealed, drew significant public attention, with criticism directed at the use of force and the management of the situation. Similarly, the government’s response to the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests raised concerns over its handling of dissent, particularly the use of force. The BJP’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic also attracted criticism, especially regarding the lack of transparency around the death toll, shortages of medical resources like oxygen cylinders, and inadequate preparedness during the second wave.
Additionally, the ongoing inter-tribe conflict in Manipur, which erupted in 2023, has faced criticism for the government’s perceived failure to take adequate action, with accusations of poor crisis management and insufficient intervention in addressing the escalating violence.
Hello. And Bye.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks exclusively to TIME
Prof PK Sharma,Freelance Journalist,Barnala(Punjab)
I must compliment Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi that he has gained his “form and touch” at the very right moment !
Had he got it in the first two – three years of NaMo regime then by the required moment he must have felt exhausted
slipping away advantage to his political adversaries !
It is high and ripe time to push and hammer the set agenda which will ultimately work wonders !
NaMo is now utterly non-plussed, awe -stricken and panicky liable to commit mistakes after mistakes and wilt under
pressure ! NaMo has been pushed to the back foot and will remain so too ! Rahul did steal the agenda in advance well
in time outsmarting NaMo in this race !
Rahul will now contiinue consolidating it further and it is now a Herculean Task for NaMo to keep pace with Rahul and to
match him !
Oh poor NaMo ! There would not be any change now with 2018 status quo prevailing on the scene in 2019 too !
Prof PK Sharma, Freelance Journalist
Pom Anm Nest,Barnala(Punjab)
It is for the government to set the national agenda, by continuing to deliver. It is only when it falters that people begin to notice the opposition. If there is a second term, there should be a complete focus on the troubled economy. The ministerial team should also be impressive.