On his way back from Nepal where he stressed the fact that India’s most venerated religious icon Lord Rama was “incomplete” without Nepal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stopped over in Uttar Pradesh capital to have discussions with the state Chief Minister and his Government on the importance of good governance.
The PM took stock of the work done by them in the first few weeks of the BJP-led Government’s second consecutive term and discussed the future roadmap for good governance in India’s most populous state.
THE REPUBLIC OF MODI
“Had an extensive interaction with the Council of Ministers of the Uttar Pradesh government. We discussed a wide range of subjects relating to furthering good governance and ‘Ease of Living’ for the citizens,” PM Modi tweeted.
In his first collective interaction with the UP Council Ministers, the Prime Minister asked them to review the implementation of their decisions periodically and spend the maximum time in their areas to ensure that the benefits of the Government schemes reach the common people.
PM Modi had had a meeting with ministers at a dinner hosted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his first stint way back in 2017 also, but on that occasion, several Opposition leaders like Mulayam Singh, Akhilesh Yadav, and Mayawati were also invited. This time, however, the invitation was strictly limited to the Council of Ministers.
The idea of a Prime Minister ‘teaching’ the Council of Ministers in a state Government how to govern might appear incongruous in a federal polity. But as the unchallenged leader of a party that rules at the Centre and in many states, imparting lessons on sustained development acquires a significant meaning.
The fact that its timing coincided with an important foreign visit was not without a telling symbolism.
The two major components of India’s ruling dispensation under Modi are an asserting leadership in the international arena through an independent foreign policy that brooks no compromise with national interest and an inclusive model of governance at home with an inclusive model of sustainable development.
Imparting lessons of good governance to the BJP-ruled state governments, reviewing their work on this count, and making course corrections as and when necessary is the hallmark of the Modi Model of the ruling BJP establishment. And Modi has not flinched from taking decisive action to achieve this objective. Changes in chief ministers in Uttarakhand, Assam, and, recently Tripura are classic examples.
The message is unmistakable. Wherever the people have entrusted the BJP and its allies to govern, the state Government must perform or perish.
On repeated occasions since the installation of his Government in Raisina Hills in 2014, Modi has repeated that the Government is committed to strengthening good governance that is “pro-people” and guided by “citizen-first” approach. And during the last eight years in the Government, he has redefined independence with good governance and brought all-inclusive development on the ground. “As India completes 75 years of Independence, ‘su raj’ (good governance) is as important as ‘swaraj’ (self-rule) for the country,” Modi asserts.
The ‘Modi Mantra’ of over two-decade success story is: “Though I’m miles away from you, I can feel your problems and difficulties”.
Several top political guns across the globe lost power due to anti-incumbency. But in the case of the Modi regime, the story is completely different. His popularity is rising with each passing day. Moreover, he has set an example that one can hold the top political position by constantly serving the people.
It is inarguable that he is the wining charm of the BJP, who wrote the “victory story” by serving the nation for over two decades.
