Modi means business, others must learn

The way India has dealt with Covid and ultimately came out of the crisis – at least on paper – shows India means business. Notwithstanding the initial hiccups, the migrant labour crisis, the oxygen shortage, lack of transparency over bed availability and hurried declaration of victory of corona, the government has the tenacity to tell us that we have overcome the crisis.

Prices of essentials are not under check, fuel prices continue to zoom and employment opportunities plummet, yet from the Prime Minister down to BJP leaders such as Devendra Fadnavis and Kirit Somaiya would love to paint a rosy picture of the current scenario. While the BJP is expected to do what it does in the States that it rules, it blames the governments in areas where it is in opposition. The world seems to digest all this, and, the absence of any critical analysis, objective assessment and above all quality opposition is making the Modi government bolder by the day and even get away with half and semi-truths.

Before anyone jumps to the conclusion that I am a Modi baiter, which I am not, let me give an example. The other day I was chatting with a watch repairer. He was praising BJP ruled States for keeping petrol prices in the range of Rs 100 a litre. He wondered as to why it can't be the same in Mumbai. He is not bothered to know that the VAT or State Government taxes in those States are slashed as they can get compensated with Central aid as per the 'double engine' doctrine.

He is blissfully unaware of the 'double engine' benefit that Modi talks about whichever poll-bound State that he visits. Non-BJP States obviously keep waiting for their dues from the Centre. The Prime Minister named 7 non-BJP States for not cooperating by reducing their VAT on fuel and almost all of them have denied that they are to blame.

Mamata Bannerjee, for instance, said the Centre owes Rs 97,000 crore to Bengal and if the State gets even half of that, it could absorb the revenue loss and reduce fuel taxes. Excise on petrol is more than state VAT in Maharashtra which also talks of Rs 27,000 crore that is due to it from the Centre.

When Modi talks of cooperative federalism, let the non-BJP States stand up and show him the 'double engine' mirror. Cooperative Federalism cannot be one-sided. As far as the issue of taxing fuel (pun intended) is concerned, the long-pending demand for bringing it under the GST regime is yet to be met. Even some Central Ministers such as Nitin Gadkari were – not sure if they still are – vocal supporters of it. But the Centre blames some States for not accepting the proposal as if it cannot bulldoze itself even if there is any resistance! Excise of Rs 27.9 per litre of petrol is a much more attractive proposition than 14 per cent of CGST (if the maximum 28 per cent GST if made applicable to fuel).

The divided opposition cannot fight a strong bulldozer BJP. While you have different parties in Bengal, Andhra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, multi-party coalitions rule in Maharashtra and Kerala. For a political observer it sounds like a joke when each of these State CMs speak of a strong front against BJP. Joke because they cannot and do not see eye-to-eye with the Congress which happens to the second largest party. For instance, KCR met only Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. Pawar clearly told KCR and Mamata that any front to oppose BJP cannot be without the Congress. This brings us back to the discussion over revival of the Grand Old Party or GOP.

PK or Prashant Kishor was in talks with the Congress leadership by making powerpoint presentations on how to regain power in 2024. Right from the day whispers planted in certain media about PK joining the Congress, I had my own doubts of that happening. GOP with Grand Older Leaders would not accept any 'outside advice' or a hired driver to steer the party. Offering consultancy to a corporate (which I keep doing) is different from advising a political party. BJP, too, tried PK and then Modi-Shah combine though they didn't need an external strategist that did not fit into the Gujarat Model (now, they talk of the UP model).

When Modi was anointed, there were grumblings among some senior leaders but they were all sidelined. None of the workers came into the streets. Call it party discipline or whimsical Modi power, the PM candidate had his way without accommodating any of his detractors anywhere. Of course, Dr Hegdewar Bhawan too had its role!

The Congress leadership, particularly Sonia Gandhi, could have tried this kind of a formula by putting at the helm someone serious about reviving and revving up the party and, not definitely, a reluctant Rahul. Congress does not lack leaders. It lacks leadership. In fact, it is a party of many leaders but their culture is to be loyal to the high command. The high command was once defined as none other than Indira Gandhi.

Sonia had that command till 2009 and sometime later till the scams tarnished the party. The ready-to-use CAG 'findings' and Anna Hazare's agitation came handy for the BJP. Vision is the word that does not seem to exist in the Congress dictionary. Otherwise, the party would not have wasted five years after 2014 and continued an ostrich-like behaviour even after 2019.

We have been hearing about party introspection right from the day KCR ditched Congress till Congress got disseminated by Yogi Adityanath's bulldozer. Now this word 'introspection' also must be deleted from the Congress dictionary.

PK is right. Congress does not need him or any external leader. Its own hand should pull the party out of the woods and start rising to muster a strong Opposition. I know it is easier said than done. Forget Indira Gandhi, even Rajiv Gandhi would have corporatised the Congress. In a corporate setup, while you have many divisions like marketing, HR, production and auditing, the buck stops at the CMD or MD. He owns it up or goes. Corporates also respect and take the help of internal as well as external whistleblowers. Moreover, they are governed by regulators. That's it. Can Congress not try this structure?

Back to the BJP. Come to think of it, the party has adopted a disciplined corporate structure. The various ministers and chief ministers are all empowered within their own boundaries with the buck stopping at 7- Lok Kalyan Marg. I do not have to tell you who their regulator is!

Finally, let me pick up Modi's favourite Mantra – technology. He has been advocating the use of technology at every step including the delivery of justice. Addressing the Chief Justices and CMs' meet, he came up with e-courts as a means to accelerate the process of resolving disputes. Can other parties not think of using technology to reach out to the grassroots?

At the risk of sounding an extension of what PK probably suggested, I would like to say that the Congress with its reach can make use of the digital infrastructure, rural connectivity, reforms for ensuring ease-of-performance, upskilling their cadre and ultimately performance linked incentives.

As PK said, there cannot be a third front to stand up to the strong BJP. It has to be only a second party or platform to muster all support and resources. The third front would only lead to a vote split. 2024 is not far away and we are already halfway through 2022. It will be sad to see the Congress dying in the 75th year of Independence.

(The author is a Mumbai-based media veteran known for his thought-provoking messaging)