'Grey Matter' behind White Paper: As Document 'Shreds' UPA Rule, PM Modi Promises 'More Development'

“But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.” This was the message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his government presented a white paper in Parliament that accused the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government of leaving the economy in tatters.

The document, which blames the UPA regime for “policy paralysis” and “corruption”, is likely to be the kernel of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s electioneering for the Lok Sabha polls this year. This is also a message from the PM that there is more development coming and there is much to offer if his government retains power.

“Then the world had lost confidence in India’s economic potential and dynamism, now with our economic stability and growth prospects we inspire hope in others,” the paper says.

It’s clear that the promise of more and better days to come will be used by the BJP to woo the electorate once the poll dates are announced. The PM has in the past mentioned that India would soon become a trillion-dollar economy and this is what the people should look forward to.

While the white paper has mentioned the strides made by the government in the social and infrastructure sectors, the Prime Minister made the point that there is more to be done and more lives to be touched. In fact, during his reply to the Motion of Thanks in Parliament, the PM kept emphasising that when he returns for his third term, he would ensure that everyone is blessed.

Amrit Kaal and Viksit Bharat are electoral buzzwords of the BJP. In the white paper, the keynote is: “The Amrit Kaal has begun and our destination is India as a developed nation by 2047. It is our Kartavya Kaal.” The “not resting on laurels” line in the white paper has a dual message — that this government has achieved what the UPA could not in 10 years, and also that it won’t become smug, something it has accused the Manmohan Singh government of.

That PM Modi keeps his ministers and party leaders on their toes is something which everyone in the BJP acknowledges and this is perhaps why many consider him to be a hard taskmaster, say sources. Now it’s clear that he wants to woo the voters with a promise of more to come.