India needs a strong government - the center has to always hold - but with some checks that cannot be judicial only or “civil society”, media, think tanks etc. All that yes but legislature has to do that. RS does it partially. Way to square circle is PM gets 5 yrs along with LS.

I like NM and BJP so I don’t mind too much from a partisan point of view what is happening. But from a longer perspective there need to be more formal checks and balances. The Lok Sabha should be the first place for that. Give the PM 5 years, let MPs vote as they wish after that.

I always bring this example up. Obamacare was debated to shreds, compromises made. There was hardly any parliamentary debate on Modicare. Or earlier when NREGA was introduced by MMS. Let the lower house which has the purse be free. LS is the PMO in a majority govt due to whips.

Everything goes through secrecy. Through smoke and mirrors. The American system is absolutely fascinating on the other hand. Obama dislodged Hillary on the strength of the system. Like or dislike DJT or AOC - again the primary system enabled a range of views to be structured.

The culture of godfathers and chamchagiri for tickets, for positions, for party funds dominates in India. Cliques are part of human nature but in India it is taken to the next level. Party line and discipline has to be maintained - and so new ideas all come top down not bottom up

Let us focus on AOC. Agree or disagree (I mostly disagree with her) but imagine a young legislator putting a massive idea like Green New Deal at the heart of politics. Moreover, the way she got elected in the first place with the primary. No reason why that can’t happen in India.