The growing federal discord
On governance, the Centre and states must work more closely
In India’s governance scheme, both the Centre and the states derive their authority from the Constitution. A specific set of subjects, outlined in the Union and State Lists, delineates responsibilities, while both units of government have powers over areas in the Concurrent List. But beyond the technical division of powers, Centre-state relations have been governed by the political dynamics of the moment and gone through different phases — of a strong Centre and relatively pliant states, both ruled by the Congress, in the first four decades after Independence; of a weakening Centre and stronger states, with the emergence of the coalition era and regional parties between 1989 and 2014; and of a strong Centre and weaker states, both ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) post-2014.
But this equilibrium is shaken, primarily because of the BJP’s growing unilateralism at the Centre and diminished control over states. Forces which are in the Opposition at the Centre govern a range of important states — including Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, and West Bengal. This means that when there are contentious legislations, which are opposed by these parties at the Centre, states governed by them begin asserting themselves and carving out their own policy positions. The sparring over the terms of reference of the Fifteenth Finance Commission (with southern states worried about allocation if new population figures are taken into account), the controversies around the Goods and Services Tax regime (with states unhappy with the Centre for failing to meet its commitments on compensation payments); the spate of resolutions in assemblies against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act; the debate around the role of governors; and now, Punjab’s decision to bring in its own legislative framework on the farm bills all point to a new trend.
This new trend — of a fracture in ties between the Centre and states ruled by non-BJP formations — is worrying. A degree of political jostling is inevitable and parties have to take positions to protect the interests of their base. At the same time, on key governance and policy issues, the breakdown of the federal consensus can undermine the cohesion of administrative structures, bring in scattered and fragmented policies in different geographies depending on who is ruling, and deepen regional divisions. The BJP must be more consultative in its political approach; the other parties must be more respectful of constitutional norms and electoral mandates.