Recently, we witnessed a painfully familiar script play out in Maharashtra. The scenes of Opposition party legislators being herded out like cattle to a BJP-ruled State were broadcast yet again on TV. The only difference was that, this time around, such skullduggery was not met with shock, surprise or righteous disdain by the public. It was, as if, the people have come to expect it. The frequency with which such ‘operations’ have been executed in this regime is unprecedented. Horse-trading is no longer an exception; it has become routine.
Tacit consent for corruption
But more interestingly, this perversion of the political process through horse-trading and the blatant use of money power is not met with disapproval, but is celebrated by supporters of the Narendra Modi regime. Moreover, the endorsement of such cynical machinations is not restricted to toppling other governments; it also extends to welcoming into the ruling party those Opposition leaders who have been accused of financial corruption. This becomes all the more important when one considers that Mr. Modi’s base is not docile but ideologically motivated and not averse to criticising the leadership. An example of this was the public criticism levelled against the ruling party for its decision to suspend BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma under pressure from the Arab states.
