Since the Bharatiya Janata Party’s sweeping victory in 2014 general elections, the party has seen a declining trend in its electoral performance. In 15 state elections after 2014, the BJP’s imputed Lok Sabha seat tally–using overlapping assembly constituencies–is 237, 45 less than its 2014 tally of 282 seats, losing a third of assembly seats in the parliamentary constituencies that it currently controls, and witnessing a decline in vote share from 39% to 29%. We delve into the data that might prompt the BJP to call for early general elections.

How A ‘Pro-Poor’ Budget Downplays Programmes That Fund The Poor

The last budget of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance presented by finance minister Arun Jaitley on February 1,2018 found no mention of allocations for flagship schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Prime Minister’s Housing Programme, PMAY) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Programme) except to reiterate targets that had been set or achieved. In fact, allocations for the rural arms of both schemes have declined 9% compared to the previous year’s revised estimates.

Not Enough For Clean Energy In Budget 2018 To Meet 2022 Targets

Budget 2018 has allocated Rs 750 crore budget for the development of grid interactive wind energy and Rs 2,054 crore for grid interactive solar power capacity. Though this is an increase on last year’s allocation, experts said this support is inadequate for the renewables sector. India is already slipping on its renewable targets and with overall allocations to the ministry of new and renewable energy slipping by 6% over a year, it may not be able to get closer to its clean energy goals for 2022.