In the last one year, the BJP has experienced both exciting highs and depressing lows. From being seen as a party that was pro-growth and pro-reforms, the BJP is now struggling to fight off the perception that it is anti-poor and anti-farmer. The dividing line was always thin, and now it has definitely been crossed. After the spectacular victory in the Lok Sabha elections in May last year, the party did extremely well in Assembly elections that followed in 2014. But it tripped in the Delhi election and is now struggling to contain rising opposition to the changes it has proposed in the Land Bill.

The national executive meeting of the BJP in Bengaluru was thus an opportunity to reassess its own performance in government and identify the reason for both its success and failures. Unmistakably, the honeymoon period for the Modi government is well and truly over; new promises are not enough to retain the support when the old ones have not been kept. The challenge for prime minister Modi and BJP President, Amit Shah was to devise a strategy to retain the support of an increasingly impatient core group of the party with the Hindutva cultural nationalist project as the agenda, and to live up to the expectations of the new converts who were hoping the government would deliver the promise of jobs and growth and a better living standard.

Modi gave a widely circulated interview on eleven months performance of his government. He was asked what he would consider his major achievements after coming to power.

The Prime Minister gave a long reply, saying good governance with good intentions is the hallmark of his government. “implementation with integrity is our core passion. We have converted certain adversities born of legacies into opportunities.”

“Achievements have to be seen with reference to the past. In what situation did the people bring us to power? And what is the situation now? Is there a policy paralysis anywhere? No, instead, there is dynamism”.

He was asked “you have empowered bureaucracy. You asked them to go to the states, and assess for themselves. Do you think your government is delivering”.

Modi: Look. It’s like the pace at which the media operates….. a pace that can’t really be kept up with by authorities. Let me explain. If there is a large ditch on the road, media has to just take a picture or video and put it up. That takes two minutes but the person who has to fill it up and do the repairs work will take , at least, 24 hours. Pehle, itna to space dena padga (the bureaucracy has to be given space). By and large, I am satisfied with their performance.”

Q. The business community is upset that not much has changed in terms of ease of doing business and with that they see a spate of tax notices? Do you think your government has been able to make a difference?

Modi: First of all you have to understand that my government is working for the common man. Results are visible in all sectors. Industry has to come forward to take the benefits of the process we have set in motion. The allegations our Congress friends level against us, and the complaints that businessmen have. The Congress says we are a government of industrialists and industrialists say we do nothing for them. Our job is to run policy-driven government. Red tape nahin hona chahiye; Ab red tap nahin hona chahiya matlab Mukesh Abmani ke liye red tape na ho aur ek common man ke liye red tape ho, waisa nahin chal sakta (Red tape should not be there does not mean it should be there for Mukesh Ambani, but be there for a common man; that won’t do).

Q. The BJP’s dream run ended on a disastrous note in the Delhi elections. Many analysts have interpreted it as an end of the ‘Modi wave’. How would you respond to it?

Modi: This is a political question. We respect the verdict of the people. However, I find it amusing to hear, that those who did not talk about ‘Modi wave’ in the context of the outcome of 2014 general elections, are now engaged in intense discussion regarding ‘Modi wave’.

Q. In less than a month since it took over, the PDP-BJP government in J&K has been mired in controversies. Are you happy with the government in Srinagar.

Modi: These are teething troubles. We need to have patience. I myself and my party have made our stand very clear that any lenience towards anti-national elements and terrorists will not be tolerated. We have to look to the larger picture. The alliance in Jammu & Kashmir is one of the most important development on the contemporary political scene. It has the potential to resolve one of our most difficult national problems through people’s participation and good governance. (IPA Service)