If BJP wins Uttar Pradesh, get ready for more Modi crackdowns
NEW DELHI: Here's an unseen consequence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sweeping the Assembly elections — more harsh steps like demonetisation.
As various exit polls showed on Thursday, the BJP can form a government in Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and, most importantly, Uttar Pradesh. The BJP sweep will be entirely creditable to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who himself led the poll campaign for his party.
Since demonetisation was seen to have badly impacted the poor, PM Modi did not base his election campaign on this issue. The BJP victory in Uttar Pardesh and other states will mean popular endorsement of demonetisation. This can embolden PM Modi and encourage him to take more such sudden and extreme steps.
Though he had gone on backfoot when he realised demonetisation was hurting the masses, initially he had promised more harsh measures.
Less than a month after he announced demonetisation, PM Modi said while addressing the BJP parliamentary party, "Some people think that after December 30, this all will end. I want to declare this once again that after the end of this scheme, there is no guarantee that something else will not be introduced to get rid of such people."
When it appeared two months after demonetisation that it did not lead to a groundswell of support for PM Modi, he moderated his rhetoric of crackdown. But victories in recent Assembly elections can encourage him to begin his next crackdown, and this could be on benami properties.
Though the government has already started to act against benami bank accounts and properties, the move has not assumed the magnitude of a crackdown. After the victory, the government action can turn into a major campaign. Other harsh steps can include a similar crackdown on foreign bank accounts.
An idea that has been associated a lot with PM Modi's radical reforms is a banking transaction tax replacing the income tax entirely or partly. This move can be more controversial than even demonetisation. But it seems that PM Modi, buoyed by electoral victories, can go for it.
Another measures he has spoken a lot about are holding Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously and state financing of elections.
Though he is very unpredictable, PM Modi's next big move will certainly be one that would be perceived to be against the upper classes as the BJP victory in elections will legitimise his rich-versus-poor plank.
As various exit polls showed on Thursday, the BJP can form a government in Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and, most importantly, Uttar Pradesh. The BJP sweep will be entirely creditable to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who himself led the poll campaign for his party.
Since demonetisation was seen to have badly impacted the poor, PM Modi did not base his election campaign on this issue. The BJP victory in Uttar Pardesh and other states will mean popular endorsement of demonetisation. This can embolden PM Modi and encourage him to take more such sudden and extreme steps.
Though he had gone on backfoot when he realised demonetisation was hurting the masses, initially he had promised more harsh measures.
Less than a month after he announced demonetisation, PM Modi said while addressing the BJP parliamentary party, "Some people think that after December 30, this all will end. I want to declare this once again that after the end of this scheme, there is no guarantee that something else will not be introduced to get rid of such people."
When it appeared two months after demonetisation that it did not lead to a groundswell of support for PM Modi, he moderated his rhetoric of crackdown. But victories in recent Assembly elections can encourage him to begin his next crackdown, and this could be on benami properties.
Though the government has already started to act against benami bank accounts and properties, the move has not assumed the magnitude of a crackdown. After the victory, the government action can turn into a major campaign. Other harsh steps can include a similar crackdown on foreign bank accounts.
An idea that has been associated a lot with PM Modi's radical reforms is a banking transaction tax replacing the income tax entirely or partly. This move can be more controversial than even demonetisation. But it seems that PM Modi, buoyed by electoral victories, can go for it.
Another measures he has spoken a lot about are holding Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously and state financing of elections.
Though he is very unpredictable, PM Modi's next big move will certainly be one that would be perceived to be against the upper classes as the BJP victory in elections will legitimise his rich-versus-poor plank.
