Return of 'coalition dharma'

Allies are newly empowered, but need not stand in the way of reform

- MIHIR S SHARMA

The biggest takeaway from the last month appears to be that Indian policy making is back in the age of coalitions. So far, the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA's) pivotal constituents the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of N Chandrababu Naidu and the Janata Dal (United) of Nitish Kumar - have largely laid low and made few demands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister has chosen to emphasise continuity in governance by reappointing much of his Cabinet. But it is far from certain how long this honeymoon will continue.

The ministries allocated to the coalition partners may be of interest. The TDP has been assigned that old mainstay for "allies", the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Interestingly, the Ministry of Railways usually much in demand remains with the former civil servant Ashwini Vaishnaw. Other ministries granted to the constituent parties include the Ministry for Panchayati Raj, for fisheries and animal husbandry, for steel and heavy industry, for food processing, for small and medium enterprises, for skill development, and for traditional healthcare systems.

On the one hand, none of these might immediately strike one as major policymaking ministries. Those have been retained with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Some of them have a major rural or "rurban" focus, such as food processing, making them useful vehicles for patronage. Others have a closer relationship with big business - civil aviation and steel, for example.