Congress Expresses Doubts Over Stability A Day After NDA Government Sworn-In

A day after Prime Minister Modi sworn in for a third term, the Congress claimed on Monday that the new the NDA government was riddled with contradictions and would not be able to run its affairs properly.

New Delhi:The Congress on Monday said the new NDA government suffered from inherent contradictions and won’t be able to function smoothly a day after PM Modi was sworn in for a third term. According to Congress leaders, the new NDA technically had the numbers to form a government, but lacked moral authority.

Besides, the BJP this time was dependent on allies like TDP and JD-U, which were demanding key portfolios in the government and in key posts in Parliament besides raising concerns over some issues the saffron party would push at any cost. Finally, the Congress leaders said that PM Modi had enjoyed a dissent-free stint in the office over the past 10 years but would have to live with the pressures of coalition politics, something that did not go well with his style of functioning.

“Technically they may have the numbers, but the PM lacks moral authority to govern. He based his entire Lok Sabha poll campaign on an inflated claim of 400 seats and divisive issues rather than talking about his achievements over the past decade. The people appropriately responded and limited BJP to 240 seats, which in a way is a negative vote for hate politics,” Congress working Committee member Syed Naseer Hussain told ETV Bharat.

According to the AICC functionary, PM Modi would now have to contend with difficult allies. “We have seen NCP leader Ajit Pawar refusing to join the NDA government as he did not get a cabinet berth. Many leaders within the BJP are also sulking as they were not included in the government. Furthermore, we are hearing that an ally is asking for two key ministries while another is pressing for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post. After the swearing-in of the ministers on Sunday, the portfolios are yet to be announced. This shows that a tussle for ministries is going on,” said Hussain.

“PM Modi has been taking decisions on his own since 2014 but now he will have to deal with coalition pressures. Already we have seen JD-U ask for a review of the Agniveer scheme while expressing its concerns over the UCC. Then you have a TDP which has said it will go ahead with the promise of 4 percent quota for Muslims in Andhra Pradesh. There could be more such issues and the PM would have to reconcile to new situations. All these are pointers that the new government may not be able to function smoothly,” he said.

According to Mohamad Jawed, second term Congress MP from Kishanganj in Bihar, the NDA was an unnatural alliance and the new government will not be stable.

“The new NDA is an unnatural alliance not because of a clash of parties in it, but due to a clash of personalities. PM Modi could take bad policy decisions like demonetisation, Agniveer, GST and others unilaterally in the past decade as there was nobody to question him. But, that may not be possible now given that he will have to take the allies into confidence before moving ahead on controversial issues. He may not feel comfortable in that situation as he is not used to consensus building,” Jawed told ETV Bharat.

“As of now it seems the government may not be stable and may suffer from inherent contradictions. I would not like to hazard a guess over the new government’s longevity but would rather wait and watch,” he added.

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