Cabinet expansion reinforces the charge that Modi runs a one-man government
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been quite cleverly building a cult around him with the help of his followers in social media space
Ever since the BJP has come to power at the Centre, it has all been about Narendra Modi and him only. Since the time he was chosen the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Mr Modi had been quite cleverly building a cult around him with the help of his followers in social media space. His choice of ministers when he was sworn in as the Prime Minister on May 26 had made it clear that Mr Modi was least concerned about getting talent on board and gave preference to personal loyalty.
The Cabinet expansion further proved that the perception given by him on May 26 was not wrong but right on the mark.After the BJP got 282 MPs in the Lok Sabha, Mr Modi has sidelined all the senior leaders who in some ways could have acted as checks and balances within the government and the party. He has cleverly kept them out by inventing an age bar for those who can get into his Cabinet. So the likes of L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Yashwant Sinha have been allowed to fade away.
Conveniently using the Lok Sabha mandate to further cement and fortify his position, Mr Modi ensured that his lieutenant, Amit Shah, was made the president of the BJP as well. Sooner than later Mr Modi will have his man as the chief of the RSS, which, as we all know, has a much greater say in the functioning of the saffron party.
There is hardly any effort being made for governance and much energy is focused on further strengthening the “Modi cult” as could be seen in the massive funds being spend on the Swachh Bharat campaign. In contrast, our CM Akhilesh Yadav is of the clear view that such a campaign should be institutional and not personalised for one’s gains.
Rajesh Dixit is national secretary, Samajwadi Party
Gone are the days when the Prime Minister could not even decide who the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office would be or when the chief executive had to sack his competent railway minister due to the whims and fancies of a mercurial ally or when the head of government could not muster the courage to act against his ministers charged with corruption as they belonged to a coalition partner.
The country has also witnessed those inglorious days when a railway minister had the audacity to defy the Prime Minister’s instructions to visit an accident site and the Supreme Court took note of the inappropriate language used by a minister in his communication to the Prime Minister.
Thankfully, today, the country has a Premier who is so secure and confident that he picked up a popular, honest and highly competent chief minister to head the corruption-prone defence ministry, inducted an efficient minister belonging to a reluctant alliance partner and changed the portfolios of ministers within five months of their assuming office even at the cost of drawing criticism.
In his latest exercise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has undoubtedly carried out a balancing act wherein competence and electoral calculations, regional and community permutations and combinations in a diverse country such as India were given adequate importance. Unlike the UPA, where all decisions were taken by Congress president Sonia Gandhi reducing the PM to a “puppet”, the NDA ministers have freedom to act, but are accountable.
K.G. Suresh is a senior fellow and editor with the Vivekananda International Foundation
( Source : dc )
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