House Matters: The BJP, Modi and Parliament

Abstract

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alone enjoys a majority in the current Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament), it lacks numbers in the Rajya Sabha (upper house). This paper examines how the opposition mobilised, especially in the Rajya Sabha, to counter some of the Modi government's legislative agenda during its first year, and the government's response of promulgating ordinances. A particular focus is on the issue of amending the 2013 land acquisition legislation passed by the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance. The paper also considers Modi's speeches inside and outside parliament. His articulation of the government's agenda, particularly on land acquisition, and his views on the role of the opposition are analysed. The paper makes two broad arguments. First, the Rajya Sabha was possibly reclaiming some of its functions, as envisioned by India's Constituent Assembly, in bringing a ‘balance’ to legislative decision-making. India's political evolution, from a one-party dominant system to one with several strong regional parties, has meant a changed role for the Rajya Sabha. Second, in its parliamentary discourse, Modi and the BJP were caught in the contradictory positions of battling the perception that they were too close to corporate interests, even as they attempted to project an inclusive and pro-poor image.