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 The 2020–2021 farmer protests, which were sparked by the controversial farm laws that were later repealed, drew significant public attention, with criticism directed at the use of force and the management of the situation.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.
The issue is certainly the handling of the economy at the national level. With due respect, Mr. Arun Jaitley’s 4 budgets have been largely under-whelming and simply do not have any bold or out of the box ideas. He simply does not know what his officers are doing at the ground level and how they are harrasing the officers. He has missed all opportunities to lower taxes and give boost to small and large business. He has simply continued to raise taxes. Sorry to say, he has been very disappointing for those who had appreciated his performance as Law minister and Commerce minister in the earlier NDA regime. Regardless of the outcome, Modiji would do well and replace Shri Arunji as the Finance minister with the energetic Piyush Goyal.
Too much of Congress narrative in the article not from the front.
The so called development in Gujarat was always been there so the flip-flops of Modi. It is these elitist journalists changing their views according to situation out of fear or lures.
Companies built on products. So political parties are based on set of ideas. Obviously each product reaches its end of life. Great companies invest and introduce better product by cannibalise their own earlier product and retaining leadership e.g. Gillette. Great parties do the same reinvent themselves before they become obsolete. Modi and Amit are such smart politicians , they won’t go down without fight and Rahul is great opponent.
If great care is not taken, the campaign during the general election will be very similar to this one.
We are missing Shri Shekhar Gupta’s vignettes from the campaign trail, what the ads on walls are telling him about the stage of the state’s development.
Modi needs to examine just two big ousters – Winston Churchill (1945) and Indira Gandhi (1977) – to understand that democracy has a way of making redundant strong leaders who push rhetoric to the limit. He is a leader who wants us to believe that as CM, he managed Gujarat like a competent CEO. However, when promoted, he failed to carry out a fundamental responsibility of handing over governance in capable hands.
Excellent analysis.Kudos!
What a self serving write up? RaGa is spinning stories on machines that will turn Potatoes to Gold. Mm. Shekar Gupta still wants his readers to “read” the changes of Rahul’s leadership qualities.
Rome rajya will trump Ram rajya. that’s for sure.
It is true that the nervousness in the BJP is all so palpable. However, I give no credit to Congress and their soon-to-be President for this. The Congress is where it has been in Gujarat – the same force that is has been all these years. That force has not ebbed and it certainly does not seem to have grown on it’s own. What gives the Congress the veneer of increased strength are the BJP’s mis-steps of Demo and GST. Laudable they are as much needed reforms, the ham-handed implementation of these measures has certainly left most ordinary Indians irritated. More so, in a state like Gujarat with it’s pre-dominant business class, these are bound to create serious backlash. The results of the election can go either ways and it should surprise no one. But instead of finding reasons elsewhere, BJP should evaluate how it ceded ground to the opposing voices.. One cannot sit on a perch and take ordinary citizens for granted and have no promised outcomes to show for the reforms that were undertaken. It is no one’s case that reforms should not be undertaken but they should have been well laid out and implemented in a non-disruptive manner. Hope the BJP learns the lessons from the Gujarat experience (irrespective of whether it wins or loses) and starts conducting it’s affairs with a little bit more humility and participation from the people of India.
The author admits development in Gujarat. Mere fight being taken against Congress, rather it’s Rahul Gandhi, only shows intention of BJP I not just winning this election. It wants decimation of the party with 46 to zero to start from Gujarat as it started 22 years against Congress and 12 years for Prime Minister Modiji.
Would appear seasoned Shear Gupta is trying to twist are intentionally twisting the understanding as is his wount to be behind the sinking ship
On 18th December, as usal, most media persons would be surprise with result. BJP would retain its 2012 performance or may increase little.
I am from Gujarat and can tell you Hardik has very limited effect, mainly in few areas. Rahul as usual gets good media couvrage but can’t convert it into vote.
50% Gujarati voters (who are below 45 years old have either not seent Congress rule in State or very little memory of it. For them , Congress means UPA2 – one of the worst governments in Indian independent history. For those,who are above 45 years, can easily find difference between Pre – Modi era and post-Modi era. In both cases, majority will vote for BJP.
In 2012, as per media, Patidar / Patel were against Modi under Keshubhai’s leadership. There rally at that time had larger people thant what Hardik’s rally have today. Media predicated clsoe fight but at end, BJP won with almost 2/3 majority. Even in 2007, media created same hype that Patidar are against BJP, many big Patidar leader campaigned against BJP but result was 2/3majority to BJP.
I am not BJP member but can get sense of ground. Also don’t want state to suffer like Delhi or Bihar which suffered lot after new experiment.
you ARE a bjp supporter hahahahah
Shekhar, we always loved you… For being finest journalist reporting from front like operation Blue Star or your musings with Vajpeyi ji… Or your National Interest columns… We followed you all the way everywhere.. From TV to print… Keep it up..!!