Confident of sweeping polls, BJP gives populist plans a break, sets sights on East

The BJP-led government on Thursday (February 1) declared that it was confident of returning to power in the Lok Sabha elections and it will then provide a detailed roadmap for a developed India.

In her budget day address on Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government has full faith that its “stupendous work” done over two terms will yield a resounding mandate in the upcoming elections.

Sitharaman’s triumphant tone came days after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar decided to leave the opposition INDIA alliance and return to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Every challenge of the pre-2014 era was overcome through our economic management and our governance. These have placed the country on a resolute path of sustained high growth. This has been possible through our right policies, true intentions, and appropriate decisions,” Sitharaman said.

“In the full budget in July, our government will present a detailed roadmap for our pursuit of Viksit Bharat,” she said.

Eye on eastern India

Eyeing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections due in fewer than four months, the Modi government also announced on Thursday that the Centre would “pay utmost attention” to developing eastern India.

This is the first time the BJP government has categorically stated that it will make special efforts for the development of eastern India so that the region becomes a driving force in India’s growth story.

“Our government will pay utmost attention to make the eastern region and its people a powerful driver of India’s growth,” said Sitharaman.

Not a populist budget

Political experts believe the government has made its intentions clear that this is not a political budget. So, no big populist promises were made.

The focus of the ruling party will be on eastern India.

“This is a clear statement that the BJP will focus on its efforts in West Bengal and Odisha. And try to consolidate its position in the states of eastern India where it is already a major political force,” said Sanjay Kumar, professor and co-director of Lokniti at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS).

“It was being expected that the Union government would come out with a more political interim budget and announce populist schemes for the people ahead of the polls but that has not happened,” he told The Federal.

More than four months after passing the Women’s Reservation Bill, the government vowed to work for women’s empowerment.

Sitharaman announced that the Centre will be building three crore more houses for financially weaker sections in rural areas in the next five years. Already, some three crore houses have been provided to the rural poor under the PM Awas Yojana (Grameen).

Focus on women empowerment

The minister also announced that the government had helped one crore women become Lakhpati Didis.

“Eighty-three lakh SHGs (self-help groups) with nine crore women are transforming the rural socio-economic landscape with empowerment and self-reliance. Their success has assisted nearly one crore women to become Lakhpati Didi already. Buoyed by the success, it has been decided to enhance the target for Lakhpati Didi from Rs 2 to Rs 3 crore,” she said.

Regarding the interim budget's focus, CSDS’ Kumar believes that there is a clear focus on women – who form half the electorate.

Priority on four ‘castes’

“The Lakhpati Didi scheme and providing houses in the name of women in rural areas will help the BJP politically,” he said.

Sitharaman said the Modi government only recognises the poor, women, youth and farmers as the four “castes” and wants to prioritise their welfare.

She said the government did not use social justice as a political slogan and that there was secularism in government action which helps reduce corruption and nepotism.

The minister also claimed in her speech that the government had helped 25 crore people to free themselves from multi-dimensional poverty in the last 10 years of the BJP-led government.