The Covid-19 pandemic will, predictably, dominate almost everything in and outside the country in 2021. However, India’s politics and politicians largely adapted well, not allowing the unprecedented crisis to taint its style too much.
The country witnessed several notable political developments in 2021, some with far-reaching consequences. Let’s take a look at some:
State elections and Mamta’s magic
Even as the second wave of COVID-19 wreaked havoc in the country, India’s politicians were preparing for high-stakes elections in four states and one union territory. The election was of particular interest in West Bengal, where the Bharatiya Janata Party was determined to oust the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee at any cost.
Crowds gathered in the states to campaign ahead of the April-May elections, and were also criticized for ignoring the COVID protocol. Bengal saw political activity with many TMC leaders switching over to the BJP, while everything was thrown into the mix including polarization in the election campaign, freebies, strategic use of state machinery and personal remarks etc.
The BJP used all its big names including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the campaign. Mamata Banerjee, assisted by her nephew and party leader Abhishek Banerjee and election strategist Prashant Kishor, reached out directly to the people of the state to divert attention from some of her party colleagues facing allegations of corruption. He decided to contest from Nandigram seat against BJP leader and his former colleague Suvendu Adhikari instead of his traditional constituency Bhawanipur.
The TMC comfortably retained power in Bengal elections, which were contested in eight phases, although some opinion polls had predicted a close race. While Mamata lost to Suvendu, her party won 213 seats, and the BJP managed 77. The Congress and the Left were vacated.
Incidents of violence followed the results announced on May 2, with the BJP accusing the TMC of targeting it. The matter ended in the courts. In the following months, several Trinamool leaders, who had joined the BJP, decided to return. TMC candidates later won several by-elections, including that of Mamata Banerjee from Bhawanipur, so that she could continue as chief minister.
On May 2, the results of the elections were declared elsewhere as well. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by Pinarayi Vijayan was re-elected in Kerala. In Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) defeated the incumbent Edappadi K Palaniswami’s All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), while the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition won in Assam and Puducherry.
Union Cabinet Reshuffle: Ins and outs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a new council of ministers in July with some unexpected high-profile exits and some strategic inductions and promotions for the politically meaningful sections.
Several key departments like health, law, information and technology and railways went to new ministers and junior ministers who were promoted.
The reform increased the number of cabinet ministers from 21 to 30 and junior ministers from 23 to 45. The number of junior ministers with independent charge fell from nine to two.
A dozen ministers including high-profile names like Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dr Harsh Vardhan and Prakash Javadekar resigned.
Mansukh Mandaviya was given the crucial health ministry charge amid the pandemic. Newcomer Ashwini Vaishnav, a Rajya Sabha member from Odisha, became the Minister of Railways and IT. Kiren Rijiju has got the Department of Law and Justice.
BJP’s star takeover from Congress Jyotiraditya Scindia took over civil aviation. Anurag Thakur was given the charge of information and broadcasting besides youth affairs and sports. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also got the newly created Cooperative Ministry.
BJP in race to change CM
Days before his fourth anniversary in office in March, Trivendra Singh Rawat, who served as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand since 2017, was replaced by Lok Sabha MP Tirath Singh. Assembly elections are due in the state next year. Several reasons were cited for his exit, including the alleged growing unease in the BJP state unit over Rawat’s style of functioning. But that was not the case. Tirath Singh Rawat submitted his resignation in July. The reasons for his exit included the party’s inability to get him elected to the assembly within six months of taking oath. The term of the Assembly ends in March 2022 and since it is less than a year, the Election Commission cannot order by-elections for vacant seats in the Assembly. Under the Representation of the People Act, a by-election to a seat should not be held if the term of a House is less than one year. Pushkar Singh Dhami was elected as the next Chief Minister of Uttarakhand by the state BJP legislature party.
In Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma replaced Sarbananda Sonowal when the latter completed his term and the state went to polls in May. The BJP came to power again and decided to give charge to Sarma, who has led his party in the Northeast.
Karnataka too saw a change in July, when BS Yediyurappa resigned as chief minister after completing two years in office, with Basavaraj Bommai taking over. The state, where elections are due in 2023, saw a change as 78-year-old Yediyurappa crossed the party’s unwritten rule of retirement at the age of 75.
In Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, who served as chief minister between 2016 and 2021, quit in September for more than 14 months to go on to his second term as CM. He was replaced by Bhupendrabhai Patel. Rupani did not complete his term this time but he got a chance to celebrate his five-year term, including 1.5 years in the last assembly. He had replaced Anandiben Patel in August 2016 under similar circumstances. Elections were held in the state in December 2017.
Captain retired injured, Sidhu-Chani go on strike in Punjab
While the BJP was in a race to change its chief ministers, the Congress also made a high-profile change. Elections are to be held in Punjab early next year. However, before Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh could complete his second term, he was replaced by Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi. The problem started with the induction of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu into the state unit. He and the captain have been face-to-face repeatedly, with repeated attempts by the party’s top leadership to resolve the situation. At last, Amarinder was shown the door and left in a hurry. Sidhu seemed keen to get the CM’s chair, but was given the task of leading the party in the state. The chief minister’s post was given to Channi, who also appears to have shared his own problems with Sidhu, as the Congress tries to capture the state, with the Aam Aadmi Party and an alliance of the Captain and BJP expected to make it tough. . Fight in Punjab elections.
the fruit of farmers’ protest
The farmers’ protest, which began in late 2020, lasted for most of 2021. At the heart of the issue were three laws passed last year that the Center dubbed “agricultural reforms” but which the protesters called “anti-farmers”. While the movement was mostly centered around Delhi, some other parts of the country also saw sporadic protests. Several rounds of talks with the government were fruitless. The Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of the laws in January 2021. But some farmer leaders felt that this was not enough.
On 26 January, India’s Republic Day, thousands of farmers paraded with a large convoy of tractors and drove to Delhi. According to officials, the protesters deviated from the pre-approved routes, resulting in violence and clashes with the police. Some agitators reached the Red Fort and put up Kisan Sangh flags and allegedly religious flags on the ramparts.
Despite the fluctuating public opinion, the weather and the pandemic, the protests continued. The protesters had set up camps on the borders of Delhi with provisions including tents, food, fans, lights, security cameras, medical stalls etc. Langars were organized regularly to feed the protesters and anyone who came. The protests garnered national and international attention through both traditional media and social media, with even celebrities such as Rihanna and Sachin Tendulkar weighing in. On 27 September, farmers’ unions called for a Bharat Bandh, which had limited nationwide impact. A protest at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh turned violent on 3 October and resulted in several deaths.
Finally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in late November that the government was repealing the laws. On 11 December the protest was postponed, as the farmers celebrated their “victory” and returned to their homes a year later.
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