The crisis situation of Covid-19 has in a way broken down the glass ceiling that the politicians and administrators have between them in the form of the numerical defence presented in a most articulate manner. Be it any state Covid-19 has brought an opportunity for the voters to examine their leaders through the best of the spectrum and then perhaps then in their absolute conscious talk about their choice of leadership evaluating their performances.
A classic case to understand the concept of glass ceiling being shattered completely can be evident in Maharashtra. People of the state are now witnessing the difference of having ably led by the previous government and a tumultuous leadership being provided by the current Chief Minister. While the states like Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, etc, are turning this crisis-like situation into an opportunity, the political leadership of Maharashtra has kept itself busy in shying away from taking responsibilities and instead accusing the Central government of not providing adequate assistance.
The Aatmanirbhar Bharat package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the basic intent of empowering the states in the current times of crisis with a special focus of making the states financially more stable. A plethora of direct and indirect advantages have been given to the Maharashtra government under this package; however, the state government is busy with its agenda of creating confusion and dilemma among the citizens. If only a few subheads of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat package were to be focused, the Central government has already given Rs 28,104 crore in the form of direct assistance. Highlights of it if to be analysed, a total of over Rs 4,592 crore was provided by the Central government only for food grains.
Similarly Rs 1,726 crore has been provided under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sanman Yojana, while Rs 1,958 crore has been given through Jandhan Yojana. In the same course of time, a total of 73.16 lakh people have been given cylinders under the Ujwala gas scheme, while a total of Rs 400 crore has been given for the Shramik special trains by the Government of India. To add to the list, the Modi government has also disbursed Rs 1,611 crore to the state disaster relief fund and Rs 448 crore for the health infrastructure.
The Maharashtra government is accusing the Centre of not providing financial aid; however, they have remained tight-lipped to the fact that under the devolution of taxes, the Modi government has given additional Rs 4,500 crore than the regular amount of Rs 1,148 crore.
The very essential quality of any leadership is to take the calculated risk with intent of helping its people. However, in this case, the areas of exhibiting decisiveness by the Maharshtra government appear to be in the “TRANSFER” mode pertaining to their convenient calculations.
One of the most important decisions by the Central government in regards to Maharashtra is that the loan-taking limit has been increased to Rs 1,70,000 crore. In such situations, where the economy has arrived at a stumbling block, the Maharashtra government, instead of reviving the economy, is back to its same old tradition of infusing a policy paralysis model in the state administration. At a time when the state is in immense need of a transformational revival, the MVA government has chosen to continue petty politics. The condition of defunct MVA administration is such that the state government when asked cannot even produce the structured plan of expenditure and investment of its existing fiscal budget. It is nothing but a major state of sorrow that the people of Maharashtra despite giving their choice of mandate are forced to witness the current situation, merely for self-centred political benefits.
A sense of regret is evident in the sentiments of the people when they see the ruling government in the state completely invisible from the ground at a time when the party with the largest number of elected representatives in the state, yet in opposition is leading by an example from the very front in such crucial times.
In contrast, former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with the entire BJP is working on the ground. Fadnavis with his administrative experience as CM, is not only helping the authorities combat Covid-19 but is also assisting them in creating a future roadmap, a role which ideally should have been undertaken by the current Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray.
While Fadnavis has shown the true traits of leadership in the crisis situation, BJP Maharashtra has explicitly exhibited true sense of social service by the countless work they have undertaken in all parts of the state.
Situational crises often act as a prism for the voters who judge the political leaders based on their performance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the time of earthquake in Gujarat in 2001, showed exemplary leadership. In Maharashtra, people have come to different conclusions after analysing the state government’s working pattern. In Maharashtra, the glass ceiling for the MVA government is broken by Covid-19 and people have analysed the leaders in power and their underperformance.
After all, every politician is a social worker who works for the betterment of the state, after which the leader is chosen by its citizens based only on one principle, “Perform or Perish”.
The writer is media head and spokesperson, Maharashtra BJP.