Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the News18 Rising India Summit on Friday devoted a significant part of his address drawing attention to his government's ‘Act East, Act Fast’ thrust for the development of eastern India.
PM Modi’s decision to spend considerable time of his speech on initiatives in the East in the past 46 months indicated the region's centrality in emerging political strategy as he prepares for the next parliamentary elections.
Modi pre-empted possible criticism from opponents who may accuse him of using the occasion to make a political pitch. He countered this argument in advance by stating, “Those who think that we are acting in this manner (emphasising on eastern India) to gather votes, are disconnected not just from ground reality but also public sentiment.”
The Prime Minister claimed the region fell behind in the race for development because projects either did not begin or were stalled midway through execution. As a corrective measure, Modi claimed, the government revived stalled plans.
For an astute political leader to remain the clear leader of the pack, especially when the bend before the final stretch looms ahead, it is important to mark out regions from where he wishes to make gains so he could compensate possible losses in previous areas of dominance.
Additionally, the timing of such a move is crucial. On that score, the initiative to speak to the people of eastern India has to be framed in the context of the BJP's spectacular victory in Tripura and significant gains in Nagaland and Meghalaya being followed by dampeners from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The Prime Minister went on to clarify that when he was talking about the ‘Act East’ policy, he wasn’t just restricted to states in India's North East — the proverbial seven sisters plus Sikkim.
Instead, his 'emphasis on east' meant giving precedence to programmes and projects in eastern UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha too. It needs to be recalled that of the setbacks to BJP in the latest round of Lok Sabha by-elections, Gorakhpur was particularly stinging.
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