This year, the Indian democracy has witnessed a series of highs and lows. These course of events have not just impacted the political landscape in 2021, but will also have an impact on the upcoming year.
The Indian politics was filled with events that signalled change in an year hit by second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Starting from the farmers’ protest against the now-repealed contentious farm laws to Assembly polls in West Bengal, achieving a landslide victory by Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress.
Here is a recap of landmark political events witnessed in 2021:
Farmers’ protest against three farm laws
Farmers from several states across the country, mostly from North India had been protesting on the Delhi borders against the now-repealed three farm laws. On November 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a shocking announcement said that the farm laws, brought for the betterment of farmers have been repealed for the sake of the country.
The protests, which had become the basis of Indian politics did not only drew nationwide support from several opposition parties, but also throughout the world.
The issue has became a key electoral issue with the Opposition, including it’s party members cornering the Centre for being “insensitive” towards the farmers.
The issue is likely to have a major yielding in the results of the assembly polls in five states, especially Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, scheduled next year.
Republic Day violence
On January 26, tens of thousands of protesting farmers had got into clashes with the police in New Delhi during a tractor march to highlight their demands. Several of them driving tractors entered the Red Fort and delivered a national insult by hoisting a religious flag on the monument.
Lakhimpur Kheri Violence
On October 3, eight people, including four farmers, were killed after an SUV allegedly belonging to Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra mowed them down in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur district. After the Supreme Court pulled up the Yogi Adityanath government over the inaction against the accused, Ashish, along with 12 others, were arrested.
This incident, which received nationwide condemnation is being probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), claiming that it was a “pre-planned conspiracy and not a negligent act”.
Following SIT report, the Opposition demanded immediate resignation of the Union minister, accusing the UP government of shielding the accused. The Opposition also alleged the Centre of protecting the minister and not sacking him despite the SIT report that the incident was a planned conspiracy.
Aryan Khan drugs-on-cruise-case
After Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with the Mumbai drugs-on-cruise case, this issue grabbed attention and escalated into a nationwide political issue.
Although no drugs were found on Aryan, the NCB said he had confessed to consuming drugs, and his WhatsApp chats indicated he was in contact with drug peddlers. They also alleged that his friend Arbaaz Merchant, accompanying him, was carrying 6gm of charas.
The Maharashtra government led by Uddhav Thackeray’s MVA alleged that the BJP-led union government was misusing NCB and other central agencies, as part of a political vendetta.
NCB minister Nawab Malik initiated objections against NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede, alleging him of extortion, apart from several other irregularities in the central agency’s functioning.
After spending 22 days in Arthur Road Prison jail, Aryan Khan was granted by a Mumbai High Court. The prima facie has not found any positive evidence against the accused to show that they had conspired to commit an offence, the court said while granting him bail.
2021 Assembly polls in five states
Despite BJP’s desperate attempts to make inroads in Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has returned to power for a third consecutive time.
MK Stalin-led defeated the AIADMK-BJP alliance in Tamil Nadu, putting an end to their decade-long rule.
While the incumbent LDF in Kerala retained power in Kerala, BJP has managed to retain power in Assam in Puducherry.
Infighting in Congress-ruled states
Amid unending poll debacles within the party cadres, Congress has witnessed a challenging time with leadership issues, infighting and disgruntled leaders in all the three states under its rule – Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
Although the power tussle in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan was managed, the infighting in Punjab stood out noticeably throughout the year with Captain Amarinder Singh quitting as the Chief Minister, later replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi.
There was a long prevailing political bickering between Singh and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu with the former Chief Minister now joining hands with the BJP, hoping to turn the tide in the upcoming Punjab assembly polls.
Pegasus snooping row
Mobile phones of several political leaders, top judges, media personalities and other eminent people, including, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, and 40 journalists were on the list of an alleged leaked list of Israeli Spyware Pegasus.
During the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, Congress led opposition raised the issue cornering the Modi government in its rallies for the upcoming assembly elections in five states. The Supreme Court ordered a wide-ranging extensive probe by a technical team of experts into the snooping allegations using the Israeli spyware.
Indians named in Pandora Paper leaks
300 Indian individuals, including Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi, Jackie Shroff, Ajit Kerkar and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw have been named in the “Pandora papers”.
On October 3, millions of leaked documents known as the ”Pandora Papers” by worldwide journalistic partnership claimed to have discovered financial secrets of current and former world leaders, politicians and public officials across the globe, including India.
More than 300 Indians have been named in the Pandora Papers leak, including over 60 prominent ones.
Covid-19 Health infrastructure crisis
Wreaking havoc across the country, the brutal second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic claimed lakhs of lives. It also highlighted the crumbling condition of health infrastructure.
Hospitals faced worst nightmare with flooding patients, shortage of oxygen tanks, beds, and other equipments.
Several hospitals in Delhi Maharashtra and other states ran out of oxygen, with hundreds dying from a shortage of oxygen.
The centre however, claimed that no deaths due to oxygen shortage were reported by states and UTs during the second wave.
BJP government changes chief ministers in four states
The Bhartiya Janata Party has changed chief ministers in it’s four ruling states – Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Assam in an attempt to contain the infighting within state units and the anti-incumbency factor building up ahead of assembly polls. While Uttarakhand goes to election’s early next year, Karnataka and Gujarat will vote later in 2022.
In Gujarat, after Vijay Rupani’s surprise resignation, Bhupendra Patel was appointed as the new Chief Minister.
In Karnataka, the infighting and dissent within the state unit culminated with the resignation of BS Yediyurappa as the CM. Basavaraj Bommai, a renowned Lingayat face in the state was appointed as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka.
With a span of four months, BJP-ruled Uttarakhand witnessed the replacement of three chief ministers, which raised questions over the stability of the state government. Pushkar Singh Dhami was replaced by Tirath Singh Rawat as chief minister
In Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma was picked over incumbent Sarbananda Sonowal as the new chief minister following the party’s victory in the Assembly polls held in March-April 2020.
