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Tag: naravane

  • Telangana Checkmates BJP

    It was reported in the media that on December 11, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a review meeting with his party leaders, expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of BJP MPs from Telangana. The meeting appears to have conveyed a clear message to Telangana BJP leaders: set aside internal differences, work as a united team, strengthen grassroots outreach, and make better use of social media to improve the party’s prospects in the state. Modi is said to have remarked that although the party has strong potential in Telangana, leadership weaknesses and internal factionalism are weakening it. Despite having eight MPs and two Union Ministers, the party has not effectively played the role of a strong opposition, he reportedly observed.

    But what happened in the recent municipal elections held for seven corporations and 116 municipalities in Telangana? The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party in neighbouring Maharashtra elections, secured third place in Telangana with just 15.68 percent of the votes. With eight MPs — half of the total Lok Sabha seats from the state — and an equal number of MLAs, the party won only 259 wards and not even a single municipality. The saffron party’s performance in other municipalities falling under the Lok Sabha constituencies represented by its MPs has been dismal. Though the BJP has the potential to grow in Telangana, especially after its good Lok Sabha results, it has not fully capitalized on the opportunities. However, strong local leaders have made some difference in places like Karimnagar and Nizamabad, but this will not be sufficient to give a tough fight in the next Lok Sabha elections.

    The municipal results followed strong performances in recent Panchayat elections, where Congress-supported candidates secured approximately 66 percent of Gram Panchayats statewide. In an Assembly segment-wise analysis, Congress secured majorities in 68 out of 81 constituencies where municipal elections were held. After forming the government on December 7, 2023, Congress also won the Cantonment by-election and the Jubilee Hills by-election. This indicates that both urban and rural voters are increasingly supporting Congress.

    The credit goes to Mr. Revanth Reddy, the Chief Minister of Telangana, who has been able to stop the juggernaut of the BJP in the state, despite the Prime Minister himself showing keen interest in Telangana. Under his leadership, the Congress party has demonstrated its strength convincingly. These elections were held at a time when there was widespread speculation in political circles that public dissatisfaction with the Revanth Reddy government was growing. The principal opposition, BRS, had been strongly criticizing the government and claiming that its end was near. Given that the government had completed two years, interest in the municipal results was high, and doubts were raised about Congress’ prospects.

    However, contrary to predictions, Congress performed well. Though leaders like KTR may not acknowledge the importance of the results, it is significant for a party like Congress, which is often known for internal dissent, to achieve this level of success. Revanth Reddy’s strategy ensured favorable outcomes across both North and South Telangana. Districts like Nizamabad, Adilabad, and Karimnagar, previously considered strongholds of BJP and BRS, saw gains for Congress. Even in his home district of Mahabubnagar, where BRS appeared strong, Congress made inroads.

    The Congress party attributes its success to development and welfare initiatives under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, such as ₹17,000 crore spent on urban development, 200 units of free electricity for poor families, free RTC bus travel for women, issuance of 30 lakh ration cards, expansion of Rajiv Aarogyasri coverage from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh, construction of 3,500 houses per constituency, and the Young India Integrated Schools initiative.

    Apart from its socio-economic agenda, it seems that Revanth Reddy adopted a clever strategy of not completely annihilating the BRS. He understands that if the BRS is finished, it would create space for the BJP to rise. He instead put the BRS on the defensive by exposing alleged corrupt practices such as the Kaleswaram project and the telephone tapping controversy. It is a strategy similar to the one adopted by KCR a few years ago, when he allowed the BJP to rise after sensing that Revanth Reddy was gaining momentum in the state as a Congress leader.

    The Telangana setback for the BJP has come at a time when the party is facing pressure from opposition parties at the national level over issues such as General Naravane’s book, Indo-US trade matters, and elections in five states. The political graph of Narendra Modi appears to be facing challenging weather, and the Modi-Shah duo are trying their best to prevent it from declining.

    Revanth Reddy has shown the Congress party a path forward. The Congress should not confine itself to parliamentary tactics alone; it must reach out to the people on issues such as farmers’ concerns, price rise, and unemployment, and strengthen the party at the grassroots level.

  • Air Pollution Outside, Political Pollution Within: India’s Twin Crises

    Air pollution has engulfed India’s national capital. What were once winter mornings marked by dew on leaves are now defined by thick smog. At daybreak, a chemical sting in the eyes and persistent coughing have become routine. Although the Air Quality Index (AQI), which exceeded 300 during November and December, may have declined to around 260 by the end of January, daily life in Delhi remains severely affected.

    Beyond the toxic air outside Parliament, the atmosphere within appears no less suffocating. In both Houses, heated confrontations between the ruling party and the opposition have created a climate of near-constant disruption. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not attend the Lok Sabha to respond to the debate on the motion thanking the President for her address, but he did speak in the Rajya Sabha, launching familiar attacks on the Congress. As he has often done, Modi traced the party’s alleged failures back to the Indira Gandhi era, accused the opposition of seeking his political demise, and charged it with disrespecting Dalits and Sikhs. The speech bore a closer resemblance to an election rally than a parliamentary response. Few leaders in India match Modi’s effectiveness as a political orator—a point even his critics concede.

    The government has attempted to sidestep discussion of a book written by former Army Chief General Manoj Naravane, but the opposition appears determined to keep the issue alive. The debate on the President’s address ended amid disorder, and there are signs that the upcoming Budget discussion may face similar disruptions. Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said an India–US trade agreement could be finalized within days. Whether India has made significant concessions will only become clear once the details are released. Politically, the agreement represents another test for Modi, even as his opponents watch closely for potential revelations from the so-called Epstein files.

    At the World Economic Forum, IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath underscored a more fundamental challenge. She said air pollution poses a far greater threat to India’s economy than US tariffs on Indian goods. Gopinath noted that air pollution causes an estimated 1.7 million deaths annually and discourages foreign investment. She warned that the resulting health costs, premature deaths, and productivity losses could reduce India’s GDP by as much as 9.5 percent. India’s Commerce Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who was present at the forum, offered no public response.

    These concerns are echoed within India’s own policy establishment. The National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) has described air pollution as a failure of government policy and an ongoing public health emergency. Economist Lekha Chakraborty has pointed to rising cases of severe respiratory illness in public hospitals, increasing health expenditures, and declining labor force participation—all of which weigh on economic growth. Air pollution, she argues, is not an unavoidable risk but a solvable problem. Yet it continues to reflect governance shortcomings. Despite India’s claims of leadership in environmental economic federalism, implementation remains weak.

    China’s experience offers a contrast. Both India and China enacted environmental laws around 2000, but China followed up with sustained, long-term action. It invested heavily in pollution-control technologies, shut down thousands of obsolete and highly polluting industrial units, and aggressively promoted electric vehicles. China’s progress demonstrates what political will and consistent policy execution can achieve.

    India today faces two parallel forms of pollution—one in its air, and the other in its politics. Leaders appear more invested in applause, spectacle, and rhetoric than in effective governance that delivers tangible improvements to citizens’ lives.