BJP and its partners need to work more closely
The interaction that Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah recently had with allies who are part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance will serve the purpose of enhancing coordination. While the initiative was primarily to iron out creases before the Budget Session of Parliament kicks off later this month, the impact can go beyond the parliamentary session. There have been admittedly some concerns in the minds of allies, and the partners have nurtured the belief that they were not being heard enough or that enough was not being shared with them as it should within a coalition. Whether this perception is true or misplaced is a different issue. What matters is the existence of complete trust between allies, big or small, and the principle party, the BJP. The latest interaction should advance that cause, because Mr Shah has assured them of full cooperation in this regard and promised to address their grievances. It is possible that the partners feel that, since the BJP has come into the lok Sabha with a majority on its own, it has had a tendency to ignore the concerns of its allies. That may not necessarily be true, but it is for the BJP to allay apprehensions. At the same time, it is also the responsibility of alliance partners to not do or say things in public that embarrass the BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While most of the coalition partners have shown care here, there have been certain cases where some alliance leaders have not only openly questioned the Government's policies but also mocked its leadership. This is in poor taste and cannot be expected to create the right environment for steady and warm relations. Of course, parties have a right to air their grievances and even express opposition on certain issues, but that must be done within the NDA platform. When such differences are brought out in the public domain, they provide a handle to the Opposition to berate and ridicule the ruling coalition. This does no good to either the BJP or those parties using the public platform to publicise essentially private matters.
One may recall that there existed during the NDA's first term under Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a mechanism in the form of a coordination committee to facilitate better understanding among coalition partners. The panel consisted of senior leaders of allied parties. This is not the case at present, which is why it is all the more necessary for senior leaders of the BJP and their counterparts in allied parties to meet one another more often (formally and otherwise), discuss issues threadbare and sort out differences before they can assume a crisis-like stature. Both the BJP and its partners will do well to understand that they have the best chance to succeed and sustain that success when they remain united. This applies to States such as Punjab which will be voting for a new Assembly, as well to those like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh where the BJP is in alliance with regional parties.