Prime Minister Narendra Modi in last four years did politics which was in spirit different from his predecessors. He made every state important and ensured that his campaign makes a difference to the fortune of the party. 
&nbsp; 
Modi in a way became a factor in politics where he divided and united the electorate at the same time. The undivided Hindu vote will remain biggest of his legacy. His appeal brought different segments of Dalits, OBCs and upper castes into BJP's fold but at the same time his politics has ended up creating great anxiety in the minority and people with Left liberal ideology. He has united a diverse population under the new rubric of cultural nationalism but sidelined views who believe in constitutional nationalism. This debate has united and divided the country like never before. 
&nbsp; 
Modi's politics ended minority exceptionalism in Indian politics but at the same time allowed crude majoritarianism to dominate political discourse. It allowed people to write and talk about violence perpetrated by minorities too. But it also created viciousness where a small child's rape in Jammu was being seen from the prism of community. Same happened on the nationalism debate. This time BJP turned the table on Congress. Congress, which used to call BJP anti-national for not participating in freedom struggle, was tagged as anti-national by BJP when it lent its support to a protest in JNU. It became part of a larger debate on nationalism. For the first time in history, Congress was being called anti-national. It united and divided India at the same time. It disallowed any intellectual discussion on the issue of patriotism and nationalism in mainstream but allowed coarse majority's view of the world to prevail. 
&nbsp; 
Modi's politics allowed communities more say and share in the political discourse. Whether it was cow protection or conservative stand on films like Padmavat, Modi's politics allowed these individual voices to dominate. Individual voices were labelled as detached from the ethos of the Indian society. This led to violation of the spirit of the Constitution. Indian Constitution acknowledges individual rights. Communities are protected but do not enjoy right over an individual. But in case of Padmavat, community's honour became more important than individual right. BJP on this sided with community pride. It made liberals look undemocratic in world view as if they are not sensitive to the subaltern world view. It again created a divide. 
&nbsp; 
Modi's politics ended Congress arrogance by attacking the principle of dynasty. Modi made dynasty into an issue which he continues to use during every state elections. It divided and united lot of people at the same time. His attack on the Gandhi family was a first of its kind. He broke the political Omerta code. It also unnerved lot of people in his party.

Modi's politics also tried to make up for the bankruptcy of RSS as a major figure during independence. His politics successfully stole couple of Congress icons like Netaji and Sardar Patel. It again created a political divide. BJP was accused of using historical figures to serve contemporary political interest. The case in point is Netaji papers appearing a year before Bengal elections. 
&nbsp; 
The only place perhaps where Modi failed was to bridge the gap between industry and farming community through his personality. For this reason the land acquisition bill continues to languish. Modi had to over commit himself to the farming sector lest suit boot ki sarkar jumla extract its pound of flesh. 
&nbsp; 
Narendra Modi like Indira Gandhi has become a central pole of discussion. His party rules 20 states. He has become undisputed national leader uniting the cadre in his praise. But like Indira Gandhi, from strong he has started to look authoritarian. It has united the whole Opposition which feels that BJP under Modi will derail democracy by making one party hegemonic. 
&nbsp; 
His campaigns like demonetisation and Swachh Bharat have united and divided India at the same time. Both policies became political issues. Demonetisation went a step further an became an electoral issue. Modi, like Indira Gandhi, is loved and hated at the same time. He is a demon and God to many at the same time.

Bottomline is that Modi's strength does not flow from accommodation but by drawing strong political lines. He politically appropriates surgical strike. He criticises domestic Opposition abroad. He remains cold to the Opposition. His supports stems more from social media than mainstream and international media.

There is a reason too. The Lutyen's consensus never accommodated him so he ended up breaking the very consensus. His desire to conquer Delhi is married to his aversion to its durbar politics. For this reason he remains an eternal outsider to Delhi's politics. He continues to divide and unite India and this remains the crux of Modi's four year in Delhi's politics.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The only place perhaps where Modi failed was to bridge the gap between industry and farming community through his personality.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in last four years did politics which was in spirit different from his predecessors. He made every state important and ensured that his campaign makes a difference to the fortune of the party. Modi in a way became a factor in politics where he divided and united the electorate at the same time. The undivided Hindu vote will remain biggest of his legacy. His appeal brought different segments of Dalits, OBCs and upper castes into BJP's fold but at the same time his politics has ended up creating great anxiety in the minority and people with Left liberal ideology. He has united a diverse population under the new rubric of cultural nationalism but sidelined views who believe in constitutional nationalism. This debate has united and divided the country like never before. Modi's politics ended minority exceptionalism in Indian politics but at the same time allowed crude majoritarianism to dominate political discourse. It allowed people to write and talk about violence perpetrated by minorities too. But it also created viciousness where a small child's rape in Jammu was being seen from the prism of community. Same happened on the nationalism debate. This time BJP turned the table on Congress. Congress, which used to call BJP anti-national for not participating in freedom struggle, was tagged as anti-national by BJP when it lent its support to a protest in JNU. It became part of a larger debate on nationalism. For the first time in history, Congress was being called anti-national. It united and divided India at the same time. It disallowed any intellectual discussion on the issue of patriotism and nationalism in mainstream but allowed coarse majority's view of the world to prevail. Modi's politics allowed communities more say and share in the political discourse. Whether it was cow protection or conservative stand on films like Padmavat, Modi's politics allowed these individual voices to dominate. Individual voices were labelled as detached from the ethos of the Indian society. This led to violation of the spirit of the Constitution. Indian Constitution acknowledges individual rights. Communities are protected but do not enjoy right over an individual. But in case of Padmavat, community's honour became more important than individual right. BJP on this sided with community pride. It made liberals look undemocratic in world view as if they are not sensitive to the subaltern world view. It again created a divide. Modi's politics ended Congress arrogance by attacking the principle of dynasty. Modi made dynasty into an issue which he continues to use during every state elections. It divided and united lot of people at the same time. His attack on the Gandhi family was a first of its kind. He broke the political Omerta code. It also unnerved lot of people in his party. Modi's politics also tried to make up for the bankruptcy of RSS as a major figure during independence. His politics successfully stole couple of Congress icons like Netaji and Sardar Patel. It again created a political divide. BJP was accused of using historical figures to serve contemporary political interest. The case in point is Netaji papers appearing a year before Bengal elections. The only place perhaps where Modi failed was to bridge the gap between industry and farming community through his personality. For this reason the land acquisition bill continues to languish. Modi had to over commit himself to the farming sector lest suit boot ki sarkar jumla extract its pound of flesh. Narendra Modi like Indira Gandhi has become a central pole of discussion. His party rules 20 states. He has become undisputed national leader uniting the cadre in his praise. But like Indira Gandhi, from strong he has started to look authoritarian. It has united the whole Opposition which feels that BJP under Modi will derail democracy by making one party hegemonic. His campaigns like demonetisation and Swachh Bharat have united and divided India at the same time. Both policies became political issues. Demonetisation went a step further an became an electoral issue. Modi, like Indira Gandhi, is loved and hated at the same time. He is a demon and God to many at the same time. Bottomline is that Modi's strength does not flow from accommodation but by drawing strong political lines. He politically appropriates surgical strike. He criticises domestic Opposition abroad. He remains cold to the Opposition. His supports stems more from social media than mainstream and international media. There is a reason too. The Lutyen's consensus never accommodated him so he ended up breaking the very consensus. His desire to conquer Delhi is married to his aversion to its durbar politics. For this reason he remains an eternal outsider to Delhi's politics. He continues to divide and unite India and this remains the crux of Modi's four year in Delhi's politics. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Modi, a unifier and divider, rolled into one

The Narendra Modi-led BJP government has completed four years in power. In these four years, the BJP has seen unprecedented ascendancy in its political power as a pan-India political party by wresting back power in Uttar Pradesh and expanding its electoral footprint to the North-East and Jammu & Kashmir.

For long, BJP was branded as a mainland cow-belt party with some influence in Western India, but now, the party is ruling in 21 states of the country.

The Narendra Modi led BJP government came to power with a historic mandate in May 2014, today, BJP is the largest political party in terms of elected representatives.

After its astounding performance in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP first tasted victory in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand assembly elections in 2014. As the party cemented its positions in other states like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Nagaland, PM Modi announced his vision of 'Congress-free India'.

In states where the BJP was not able to win an absolute majority, it formed the government in the alliance like Bihar, Goa and Jammu and Kashmir. The party kept expanding its saffron footprints, and the opposition chorus also kept growing. They started accusing the BJP of communal politics and horse-trading.

The Congress and other opposition parties are seen rejoicing at the defeat of the BJP even in an insignificant election. The rise of the saffron party has also resulted in coming together of arch-foes who want to keep halt its victory run. The same was witnessed in Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha bypolls where Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party made a tacit understanding for Gorakhpur, Jaunpur bypolls and Karnataka where Congress agreed to join hands with JD(S) and make Kumaraswamy the chief minister.

The BJP, along with its allies, is now ruling Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Assam, Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, Nagaland, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya. The opposition chorus has also now reached a crescendo and has set the stage for 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The results in most of Assembly Elections are good news for the BJP in the context of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The results not only mark the further shrinking of the Congress footprint across India but also the BJP establishing itself as a pan-India party. With these elections, the BJP entered into some of its non-traditional areas - the North-East and South. It can now hope for additional seats in these areas to compensate for any losses that it might suffer in north India.

From its days as a party on the fringes of India's political spectrum, the Bharatiya Janata Party has now come a long way.

The Narendra Modi led BJP government came to power with a historic mandate in May 2014, today, BJP is the largest political party in terms of elected representatives.

The Narendra Modi-led BJP government has completed four years in power. In these four years, the BJP has seen unprecedented ascendancy in its political power as a pan-India political party by wresting back power in Uttar Pradesh and expanding its electoral footprint to the North-East and Jammu & Kashmir. For long, BJP was branded as a mainland cow-belt party with some influence in Western India, but now, the party is ruling in 21 states of the country. The Narendra Modi led BJP government came to power with a historic mandate in May 2014, today, BJP is the largest political party in terms of elected representatives. After its astounding performance in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP first tasted victory in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand assembly elections in 2014. As the party cemented its positions in other states like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Nagaland, PM Modi announced his vision of 'Congress-free India'. In states where the BJP was not able to win an absolute majority, it formed the government in the alliance like Bihar, Goa and Jammu and Kashmir. The party kept expanding its saffron footprints, and the opposition chorus also kept growing. They started accusing the BJP of communal politics and horse-trading. The Congress and other opposition parties are seen rejoicing at the defeat of the BJP even in an insignificant election. The rise of the saffron party has also resulted in coming together of arch-foes who want to keep halt its victory run. The same was witnessed in Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha bypolls where Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party made a tacit understanding for Gorakhpur, Jaunpur bypolls and Karnataka where Congress agreed to join hands with JD(S) and make Kumaraswamy the chief minister. The BJP, along with its allies, is now ruling Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Assam, Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, Nagaland, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya. The opposition chorus has also now reached a crescendo and has set the stage for 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The results in most of Assembly Elections are good news for the BJP in the context of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The results not only mark the further shrinking of the Congress footprint across India but also the BJP establishing itself as a pan-India party. With these elections, the BJP entered into some of its non-traditional areas - the North-East and South. It can now hope for additional seats in these areas to compensate for any losses that it might suffer in north India. From its days as a party on the fringes of India's political spectrum, the Bharatiya Janata Party has now come a long way.

Four years of Modi government: BJP's surge as a pan-India political party

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has completed four years. During this time, his government launched several initiatives which garnered laurels as well as created a lot of buzz across the country.

As his party gears up for elections next year, here is a look at his pet schemes and how they have performed in these four years:

Goods and Services Tax

This was one of the most crucial reform introduced by the Modi government. Though the plan was in the works for more than a decade, the GST (as it is popularly called) was finally implemented in July, 2017. The GST replaced many indirect taxes (as many as 14) that previously existed and streamlined tax rates across the country under one umbrella. The implementation of GST altered the country's indirect tax regime for good.

The GST was meant to introduce single tax slab across the country, but after numerous discussions and political compulsions, there are now four slabs. However, it has reduced the number of taxes while moving goods within the country, or availing services at different locations. Initially, it resulted in drop in tax collection, but after nearly a year of GST, the numbers have gone up.

Demonetisation

On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the nation by surprise when he announced the discontinuation of existing high-values currency notes - Rs 500 and 1000 - which was termed as demonetisation. THe decision was taken essentially to wipe out all the black money, curb fake currency and terror financing.

This prompted people to embrace digital payment channels and reduced their dependence on cash. Post-demonetisation, the number of tax returns filed by individuals increased 25.3 per cent and 9.1 million taxpayers have been added to the tax net.

Demonetisation, like GST, was put to challenge both by opposition parties and people who were shocked at huge amounts of cash disappearing from the system. Many assembly elections and bypolls were fought solely on these two economic decisions of the BJP, and the party paid by losing some of these polls. The main criticism was ATM machines going dry and long queues outside, but the upheaval was contained a few months later. Government announced a slew of measures to make people's lives easier.

Demonetisation, the gamble which government played, directly hit sectors like real estate where presence of black money was highest. The growth rate, which had plunged initially, is back now and compliance among the business community has increased.

Make in India

Just a few months into his term, PM Modi launched the "Make in India" scheme to facilitate domestic investment, boost in-house research & development (R&D) and create skill-based jobs by developing manufacturing in the country and to make India a global manufacturing power.

A "Start-up India" programme was also launched with the objective of making India the start-up capital of the world. Modi promised an increase in manufacturing's share of the country's GDP from 16 per cent to 25 per cent by 2022 and to create 100 million additional jobs by that year.

Aadhaar linking

The Modi government introduced a policy to link PAN card, voter ID, LPG connection card, ration card and mobile number to a 12-digit unique number, known as Aadhaar. It was introduced on March 26, 2016.

Modi government projected and Parliament enacted the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act. Today, Aadhaar has become India's most credible identity currency, and is used while filing taxes, and buying financial products like mutual funds.

PM Modi said that the unique identification number will work as a "big weapon" in the fight against benami property. "Aadhaar has a played a big role in ensuring that ration at proper rates, scholarships, pension and government subsidies reached the poor," he said.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign)

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched on October 2, 2014, by PM Modi with hopes to increase the reach of sanitation facilities to every family. Under the scheme, toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, cleanliness, and safe and adequate drinking water supply will be ensured in every village of the country so that they can become open-defecation free by October 2, 2019. Modi nominated notable personalities from film industry, sports, media, business and other celebrities to promote the initiative.

The mission's biggest component, the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin or SBM-G, which has the vital mission of constructing 10 crore toilets in India's villages, has been underfunded since 2014, research report shows. The gap between money the SBM-G needs and what it actually gets has extended from Rs 3,500 crore in 2016-17 to an astounding Rs 15,000 crore in the coming financial year.

Since the Modi government came to power there have been significant economic changes in the country. His government has taken the rightful steps towards a stable political and macroeconomic environment, redefining the tax system, as well as battled corruption by introducing demonetisation. These policies have helped India’s economy outperform most emerging markets in per capita GDP growth, and improved the country's business environment, as inflation has dropped.

India's economic growth collapsed in the quarters following demonetisation. However, it turned around with the December quarter clocking 7.2 per cent growth In the country's GDP. India's ranking in the World Bank's "Ease of doing business report" also moved from 130 to 100 this year.

Another noteworthy accomplishment of the Indian economy over the past few years has been the extraordinary growth in foreign flows, in particular the foreign direct investment (FDI).

But then it also led to some downfalls. Bad debts - now at more than Rs 9 trillion - linger profoundly not just on government-controlled banks but also on its economic well-being (e.g. the 13,000 crore PNB fraud). The oil prices have been steadily increasing over the last couple of months.

The agriculture sector has taken a hit with farmers' income dropping in real terms, primarily on account of food price deflation and the breakdown in the cash-based rural economy after demonetisation. In fact, if one compares India's real GDP growth to expansion of its farm sector, the latter has steadily lagged the former since 2012.

GDP growth is still above five per cent, but it has slowed down sharply from past rates of eight and nine per cent. And even the above-five per cent GDP growth is not creating jobs fast enough. In 2014, during its election campaign, the government had promised to create 10 million jobs a year. However, only less than a million jobs were created in the four years it has been in power.

GDP growth is still above five per cent, but it has slowed down sharply from past rates of eight and nine per cent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has completed four years. During this time, his government launched several initiatives which garnered laurels as well as created a lot of buzz across the country. As his party gears up for elections next year, here is a look at his pet schemes and how they have performed in these four years: Goods and Services Tax This was one of the most crucial reform introduced by the Modi government. Though the plan was in the works for more than a decade, the GST (as it is popularly called) was finally implemented in July, 2017. The GST replaced many indirect taxes (as many as 14) that previously existed and streamlined tax rates across the country under one umbrella. The implementation of GST altered the country's indirect tax regime for good. The GST was meant to introduce single tax slab across the country, but after numerous discussions and political compulsions, there are now four slabs. However, it has reduced the number of taxes while moving goods within the country, or availing services at different locations. Initially, it resulted in drop in tax collection, but after nearly a year of GST, the numbers have gone up. Demonetisation On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the nation by surprise when he announced the discontinuation of existing high-values currency notes - Rs 500 and 1000 - which was termed as demonetisation. THe decision was taken essentially to wipe out all the black money, curb fake currency and terror financing. This prompted people to embrace digital payment channels and reduced their dependence on cash. Post-demonetisation, the number of tax returns filed by individuals increased 25.3 per cent and 9.1 million taxpayers have been added to the tax net. Demonetisation, like GST, was put to challenge both by opposition parties and people who were shocked at huge amounts of cash disappearing from the system. Many assembly elections and bypolls were fought solely on these two economic decisions of the BJP, and the party paid by losing some of these polls. The main criticism was ATM machines going dry and long queues outside, but the upheaval was contained a few months later. Government announced a slew of measures to make people's lives easier. Demonetisation, the gamble which government played, directly hit sectors like real estate where presence of black money was highest. The growth rate, which had plunged initially, is back now and compliance among the business community has increased. Make in India Just a few months into his term, PM Modi launched the "Make in India" scheme to facilitate domestic investment, boost in-house research & development (R&D) and create skill-based jobs by developing manufacturing in the country and to make India a global manufacturing power. A "Start-up India" programme was also launched with the objective of making India the start-up capital of the world. Modi promised an increase in manufacturing's share of the country's GDP from 16 per cent to 25 per cent by 2022 and to create 100 million additional jobs by that year. Aadhaar linking The Modi government introduced a policy to link PAN card, voter ID, LPG connection card, ration card and mobile number to a 12-digit unique number, known as Aadhaar. It was introduced on March 26, 2016. Modi government projected and Parliament enacted the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act. Today, Aadhaar has become India's most credible identity currency, and is used while filing taxes, and buying financial products like mutual funds. PM Modi said that the unique identification number will work as a "big weapon" in the fight against benami property. "Aadhaar has a played a big role in ensuring that ration at proper rates, scholarships, pension and government subsidies reached the poor," he said. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign) Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched on October 2, 2014, by PM Modi with hopes to increase the reach of sanitation facilities to every family. Under the scheme, toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, cleanliness, and safe and adequate drinking water supply will be ensured in every village of the country so that they can become open-defecation free by October 2, 2019. Modi nominated notable personalities from film industry, sports, media, business and other celebrities to promote the initiative. The mission's biggest component, the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin or SBM-G, which has the vital mission of constructing 10 crore toilets in India's villages, has been underfunded since 2014, research report shows. The gap between money the SBM-G needs and what it actually gets has extended from Rs 3,500 crore in 2016-17 to an astounding Rs 15,000 crore in the coming financial year. Since the Modi government came to power there have been significant economic changes in the country. His government has taken the rightful steps towards a stable political and macroeconomic environment, redefining the tax system, as well as battled corruption by introducing demonetisation. These policies have helped India’s economy outperform most emerging markets in per capita GDP growth, and improved the country's business environment, as inflation has dropped. India's economic growth collapsed in the quarters following demonetisation. However, it turned around with the December quarter clocking 7.2 per cent growth In the country's GDP. India's ranking in the World Bank's "Ease of doing business report" also moved from 130 to 100 this year. Another noteworthy accomplishment of the Indian economy over the past few years has been the extraordinary growth in foreign flows, in particular the foreign direct investment (FDI). But then it also led to some downfalls. Bad debts - now at more than Rs 9 trillion - linger profoundly not just on government-controlled banks but also on its economic well-being (e.g. the 13,000 crore PNB fraud). The oil prices have been steadily increasing over the last couple of months. The agriculture sector has taken a hit with farmers' income dropping in real terms, primarily on account of food price deflation and the breakdown in the cash-based rural economy after demonetisation. In fact, if one compares India's real GDP growth to expansion of its farm sector, the latter has steadily lagged the former since 2012. GDP growth is still above five per cent, but it has slowed down sharply from past rates of eight and nine per cent. And even the above-five per cent GDP growth is not creating jobs fast enough. In 2014, during its election campaign, the government had promised to create 10 million jobs a year. However, only less than a million jobs were created in the four years it has been in power.

Four years of Modi government: 5 schemes and how they performed

four-years-of-modi-government

Four Years Of Modi Government, News on Four Years Of Modi Government, stories on Four Years Of Modi Government, articles on Four Years Of Modi Government, Four Years Of Modi Government stories at Wion, Four Years Of Modi Government news, Four Years Of Modi Government latest news

four years-of-modi-government

Opinion: Modi, a unifier and divider, rolled into one

Four years of Modi government: BJP's surge as a pan-India political party

Four years of Modi government: 5 schemes and how they performed