Politics Outside New Parliament

On 28th May 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new parliament building with grand Hindu traditions.  This day also witnessed Prime Minister Modi installing the royal Sengol at the Lok Sabha chamber of the new parliament. The inauguration date coincided with the birth anniversary of VD Savarkar and it was also on this same date, Jawahar Lal Nehru was cremated in 1964.  The Prime Minister wrote on his Twitter handle: "As the new building of India’s Parliament is inaugurated, our hearts and minds are filled with pride, hope, and promise. May this iconic building be a cradle of empowerment, igniting dreams and nurturing them into reality. May it propel our great nation to new heights of progress". Similarly, Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan supported this event on Twitter and wrote: " What a magnificent new home for the people who uphold our Constitution, represent every citizen of this great Nation, and protect the diversity of her one People @narendramodi ji. A new Parliament building for a New India but with the age-old dream of Glory for India. Jai Hind! #MyParliamentMyPride"

The new triangular building in the heart of the capital is part of the $2.8 billion Central Vista redevelopment project. When everyone was waiting for the inauguration, politics already started outside the new parliament before the inauguration. As crores of people watched the new parliament's inaugural ceremony, the 19 opposition parties boycotted the event, accusing the government of “constitutional impropriety" and for sidelining the President, Draupadi Murmu during the inauguration. Same day, the Delhi police detained protesters and several wrestlers marching towards the new Parliament building for the 'Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat' called by protesting wrestlers against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment charges. From the beginning only this new parliament building project started facing criticism for its cost, damage to the environment, and loss of heritage buildings as part of the renovation which began in the middle of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. The controversies haven't ended even after the inauguration of the new building. The Rashtriya Janata Dal compared the new parliament building with a 'coffin' on Twitter soon after the inauguration.

Amid all the backlash, BJP defended new parliament construction and went ahead to highlight its importance by recalling the history, spirit, and ethos of India because back in 1927, the old parliament building was opened as the seat of the Imperial Legislative Council. And following the end of British rule it was taken over by the Constituent Assembly of India which later became the Indian Parliament after India becoming a Republic on 26th January 1950. On the path to the completion of his second term as PM and while advancing toward the next year's parliamentary elections, Narendra Modi frequently talked about steps taken by him to build a 'New India' and also to protect the heritage and cultural glory of India. Using the idea to reclaim and transform India, PM Narendra Modi has been able to boost his image. The connection created between history, architecture, culture, religion, and politics has served BJP very well.

Everyone seems to be too focused on the controversy around the new parliament, it's time to think of how dramatically the political power dynamics in India will change after 2026. The new Lok Sabha has the capacity of 888 seats and in the year 2026, more seats are likely to be added through delimitation. Soon after delimitation, states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Rajasthan will gain more seats in the new Parliament. Also, the Modi Government wants the Central and state elections to happen at the same time. So the year 2026 can bring a political storm after delimitation and simultaneous elections if BJP gets to power in 2024 again. Those supporting and those not supporting the new parliament will sit inside the new parliament but which side of the hall they will occupy in the future will be decided by the people.