4 U-Turns In 2 Months By Modi 3.0 Govt Mark Return Of Coalition Politics At Centre

In Modi government's numerous U-turns in the third term, one can find true coalition politics returning to the Centre.

PM Modi with key allies Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar during his swearing-in ceremony in June.

Source : PTI

The Narendra Modi-led government has been criticised for several instances of taking "U-turns". And the streak continues. It has been barely two months since PM Modi took oath for the record third time, and the government has already taken at least four U-turns on policy decisions — the latest among them is the rollback of the advertisement for lateral entry bureaucracy jobs. Although the Opposition has claimed "victory", the crucial detail being missed out is that the BJP has become more receptive towards its allies' demands.

The U-turns indicate more of an NDA government in power than a BJP government. However, the Congress has taken the opportunity to highlight its "victories" over a "weak PM". Congress leader Manickam Tagore, in an interaction with ETV Bharat, said the order to revoke the UPSC advertisement on lateral entry jobs showed that "we now have a weak Prime Minister" and positioned Rahul Gandhi as a strong Leader of the Opposition. 

UPSC Scraps Lateral Entry Jobs Advertisement

The latest in the NDA government's list of U-turns is the policy for lateral entry into jobs by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). According to Union minister Jitender Singh, the move on lateral entry should be "aligned with social justice". However, the scrapping of the advertisement seems to be more because of a demand by the BJP's allies.

The lateral entry scheme, aiming to fill up key senior- and mid-level positions in ministries, did not account for quotas for SC, ST, OBC candidates. Recruitment was to be based purely on merit. The scheme, unilaterally challenged by the Opposition, was also opposed by the BJP's key allies from Bihar — Chirag Paswan's LJP and Nitish Kumar's JD-U.

While Chirag Paswan said his party is against the lateral entry scheme, JD-U leader KC Tyagi said: "This [no reservation in lateral entry] will make Rahul Gandhi the champion of the backward classes." 

Soon after the advertisement was scrapped, Chirag Paswan said: "I am happy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi understood the concerns of a large section of the society — people from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes."

मुझे खुशी है कि मेरे प्रधानमंत्री आदरणीय श्री @narendramodi जी ने समाज के एक बड़े वर्ग-अनुसूचित जाति, अनुसूचित जनजाति, पिछड़ा वर्ग से आनेवाले लोगों की चिंताओं को समझा। आज एक आदेश के तहत, ये जो विज्ञापन निकला था, उसे रद किया जाता है। मैं और मेरी पार्टी लोक जनशक्ति पार्टी… pic.twitter.com/NrPa2ZIsK4

— Lok Janshakti Party (@LJP4India) August 20, 2024

'Reconsideration' Of Broadcasting Bill Draft

Another Recent U-turn of the Modi government has been the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024. The Bill, which would have replaced the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, was withdrawn as the government wanted to "hold discussions with stakeholders on the draft Bill". The Centre's move came amid allegations of a "secret second draft" being circulated.

The Bill purportedly sought to regulate the content of independent news creators.

In a clarification on X, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said: "In response, multiple recommendations/ comments/ suggestions were received, including from various Associations. Ministry is holding a series of consultations with the stakeholders on the draft bill."

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is working on a Draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill.

The draft Bill was placed in public domain on 10.11.2023 along with the explanatory notes for comments of the stakeholders and the general public. https://t.co/3A4brxbfLC…

— Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) August 12, 2024

The "clarification" came after the Opposition accused the government of "suppressing the truth" and helping business houses. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former Prasar Bharti CEO Jawhar Sircar had said the Bill was "secretly circulated" and the government refused to answer questions on the same.

Modi Govt suppresses truth from Parliament
— but shares information with business houses and ‘stakeholders’.
Govt HAS revised Broadcasting Bill & HAS CIRCULATED SECRETLY — yet it refuses to say this.
It avoids rest of ques — as no democratic country has such a draconian law. pic.twitter.com/Eg7FeEtnPO

— Jawhar Sircar (@jawharsircar) August 2, 2024

Waqf Bill Sent To Joint Parliamentary Committee

In yet another consideration of its allies' demands, the government, despite a majority in favour, sent the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. This Bill, too, was opposed in its current form by BJP's allies — LJP, JD-U, and the Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP. Additionally, the BJP faced opposition from various Muslim bodies for tabling the Bill that seeks to significantly change the Waqf Act of 1995.

Among the key changes are the inclusion of at least two non-Muslim individuals and two women on the Central Waqf Council and the requirement of a person to be a practising Muslim for five years before they may transfer their property as Waqf. The Bill also seeks to address the issue of Waqf boards arbitrarily taking over any property. While the TDP and JD-U extended support before the Bill's introduction in Parliament on August 8, they differed after Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tabled the Bill.

After its key allies opposed the Bill, the BJP-led government decided to send it for review by a JPC.

Rolling Back Removal Of Indexation Benefits On Sale Of Property

Another key policy u-turn by the Modi 3.0 government was the rolling back of the proposed removal of tax benefits on Long Term Capital Gains. In response to concerns over a Budget proposal to remove indexation benefits on long-term capital gains (LTCG), the government has revised its stance on August 6.

Taxpayers can now choose between paying a 20% LTCG tax with indexation for property bought before July 23, 2024, or a 12.5% tax without indexation. The amendment, seen as a major rollback, allows for the lower tax amount to be paid under either option. However, for properties bought after July 23, 2024, only the 12.5% tax without indexation applies. The indexation benefit remains available only for immovable property.

The NDA's allies had expressed concerns over this proposal too, with Chandrababu Naidu's TDP seeking "protection for the middle-class, which invests heavily in real estate". According to an Economic Times report, TDP MP Srikrishna Devarayalu sought a relook at indexation and sought a rollback of GST on health and life insurance.

BJP Learns From 2020 Mistake

The BJP faced massive backlash when it introduced three now-scrapped farm laws. After over a year of protests and parleys, the BJP was forced to roll back the contentious laws. It was a major embarrassment for the Modi 3.0 government as it had to take back its policy despite a brute majority in Lok Sabha.

It was not just the embarrassment that troubled the BJP. It lost its oldest ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal, during the farmers' protest. The SAD opted to break its alliance with the BJP and stand by the farmers, a majority of whom were from Punjab.

Back then, the BJP had 303 MPs in the Lok Sabha. Now, a considerably weak BJP seems to be giving space to its allies, however small they may be. The BJP now has 240 MPs and doesn't have the required strength to form a government on its own. Being dependent on its allies, especially the TDP (16) and the JD-U (12), the BJP is doing everything it can to keep Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar in good humour.