Finally the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government at Center gave in to the pressure tactics of the stronger than before opposition’s demand against lateral recruitment by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on senior bureaucratic posts in 22 Central ministries, on Tuesday. The U-turn by the government is seen as a victory for the Congress led campaign against the government’s decision, giving a fresh setback to the NDA government, which has started to learn the ‘Coalition Rules’.
In the first 100-days of the third-term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government at Center, the decision of withdrawal of lateral recruitment advertisement published by UPSC is another jolt that the government suffered after its earlier retraction on the Waqf Ammendment Bill, the real estate indexation rules and Broadcasting Regulation Bill.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and Congress MP from Raebareli Rahul Gandhi had launched a no holds barred offensive against the BJP government’s decision for sidelining the SC, ST and OBC reservation, after the advertisement of lateral recruitment on 45 posts of joint secretary and deputy secretary in 22 Central ministries was published by UPSC on its website on August 17.
Says political analyst Abhay Awasthi, “The reality of coalition politics has started to dawn upon the BJP after it failed to secure majority in 2024 polls. The government had already set its agenda of doing what it is doing now, unmindful of the fact that Modi 3.0 is not a absolute majority government sans any checks and balance. A coalition has its own do’s and don’t’s. The U-turn on several issues in first 100 days of the government has set the tone for the more humble doings on part of the government clipping wings of anarchy.”
Awasthi maintained that in NDA 1 and NDA 2 governments, Congress party’s numbers were a mere 44 and 52 respectively resulting in a weak and non-united opposition. “But now things have changed. BJP is in minority and running a coalition government. It will have to stick to Coalition Rules or face trouble. “The hardliner image of BJP has started to fade now and is expected to cast its effect on forthcoming assembly polls in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
It may be mentioned that the government had not consulted its coalition partners on the issue as Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) had opposed the move of lateral entry in UPSC.
Meanwhile, INDIA ally Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had termed the lateral recruitment as a conspiracy of making appointments through the ‘backdoor of lateral entry’ in UPSC by rejecting reservations.
Terming the U-turn of government on the issue, he stated that the latter had succumbed to the unity of PDA. He also postponed the call for agitation over the issue from October 2.
According to Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) member Javed Urfi, “The government had to succumb to reality as lateral entry in UPSC was not in the interest of a major chunk of aspirants. BJP seems to often forget that it was leading a coalition and not an absolute majority government. Soon it will realize the same.”
