Over the last three days, at least three Chief Ministers — Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala, Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal and Hemant Soren of Jharkhand — called out the Centre for its approach towards States. These CMs have raised concerns of abdication by the Centre on the one hand and overreach on the other. The first two also asked counterparts in other States to unite in asserting their right vis-a-vis the Centre. Mr. Vijayan wrote to CMs of 11 States — Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Delhi, Punjab and Maharashtra. Could there be a united resistance to the Centre’s unilateralism? How might the Centre respond?
Ms. Banerjee brought into service a well known dialogue from Sholay, an Amitabh Bachchan blockbuster from 1975.
“Jo darte hain woh marte hain [death is certain for those who are afraid],” she reminded her counterparts elsewhere. “They are behaving like autocrats, just like Adolf Hitler and [Joseph] Stalin. The Centre cannot force one to join it without the consent of the State government. I will appeal to all State governments of India, all Opposition leaders, IAS, IPS officers, NGOs to be together to fight the battle,” news agency PTI quoted her as saying. In an unprecedented move, the Centre had attached the services of West Bengal Chief Secretary without his concurrence or that of the State government.
Vaccine policy burden
Ms. Banerjee’s grievance is that the BJP and the Centre are trying to paralyse her government by all means. The other two CMs have questioned the Centre’s vaccine policy that puts extraordinary burden on States. “When the nation is passing through the second surge, it is unfortunate the Centre is absolving itself of its bounden duty to provide adequate supply of vaccine,” Mr. Vijayan said in his letter.
Under the Centre’s dual pricing policy, two Indian manufacturers sell vaccines to the Centre at ₹150 per dose while the States have to buy them at ₹300 for Covishield and ₹600 for Covaxin. The Centre also does not underwrite vaccination for people in the 18 to 45 demographic unless they are healthcare workers.
West Bengal has already questioned the differential pricing of vaccines, in an affidavit it has filed in the Supreme Court. “The need of the hour is a united effort from our side to put forth the genuine demand that the Centre should procure vaccine needed by the States and distribute them free of cost. This will be more cost-effective as well,” Mr. Vijayan said in his letter dated May 29.
Mr. Soren’s letter to the PM was written after Mr. Vijayan’s, on May 31. He wrote: “This is probably the first instance in the history of independent India that States have been mandated to procure vaccines on their own. Such a mandate, under the ongoing challenging and unprecedented circumstances... stands against the principle of cooperative federalism.”
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan (L) questioned the Centre’s vaccine policy that puts extraordinary burden on States. File | Photo Credit: VIBHU H
Non-BJP Chief Ministers would think twice before any joint move to bargain with the Centre. Central agencies such as the the CBI, the ED, the NIA and the IT Department have been aggressive towards Opposition parties.
Differential treatment of CBI
The differential treatment of the CBI towards leaders of the BJP and the TMC accused in the same corruption case in West Bengal is instructive. The Centre would not shy away from doing more of the same.
Some of these CMs believe that being friendly with the Centre will get them a better deal. Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy was quick to come to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s defence when Mr. Soren said he did not listen to CMs during a recent meeting on COVID.
Finally, Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal, who relishes in combating the Centre, is not open to supporting others as he is to receiving their support. He appears particular about not associating with any larger Opposition platform. He has sought and received the support of other CMs including Mr. Vijayan and Ms. Banerjee on issues of Centre’s overreach in the past, but has not reciprocated the gesture when these CMs have been at the receiving end.