Actually it might be the other way around. In the US, I lean more conservative — I have more friends who have a Republican leaning. It is in India I’m voting more liberal — BJP is among the more liberal parties I find [India as such doesn’t have proper liberals that I find in US and Europe]. I’m a center-right conservative and that part of the spectrum again doesn’t exist as such in India.
Regarding why I think BJP more liberal, let me copy my recent blogpost: 2019 Indian elections is more of a victory for liberal politics than conservative politics.
As soon as the dust settled on Indian elections results that brought a massive victory for Modi — with a colossal majority previously commanded only by Nehru and Indira — Indian “liberals” were up in arms. They compared Modi to Trump and everyone else they hate. It is just that they missed out on the key details in how it is the liberal ideas that won over the conservative ideas in 2019.
- In the US, Trump fought on the plank of dismantling Obamacare. In India, Modi won on the plank of an extended healthcare scheme that is among the largest of its kind in the world. India launches 'Modicare,' the world's biggest government health program
- Conservatives like Trump win on the plank of corporate tax cuts, relaxed trade policies and smaller welfare schemes. Modi’s victory was centered around a massive expansion of government welfare to bring a record numbers of toilets, cooking gas access, electricity access, bank accounts etc. How does the Narendra Modi government score on welfare schemes?
- Gender is a key priority for global liberals. 2019 saw record numbers of women vote (Women turn out in greater numbers than in previous elections) and a record number of women elected ( Record 78 women MPs in new Lok Sabha). An all time Indian record for both. Modi has women in key ministries of the administration including foreign affairs and defense. Modi has brought women leaders in record numbers — Modi Government First To Have Six Women Cabinet Ministers.
- A slew of new schemes were launched for women welfare including the maternity benefits: Modi announces 26-week maternity leave as he defines 'New India' as change in mindset, an extended push of maternity benefits: Govt to pay half of extended maternity leave benefit, schemes for protection of the girl child: Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao: Caring for the Girl Child, a big reform for bringing women more power in armed forces: Women power: PM Modi announces Permanent Commission for Short Service Commissioned women in Armed Forces
- Until 2019, Indian voters were primarily counted on caste lines. There would be Yadav voter, Dalit votes, Jat votes, Maratha votes, Thakur votes. All those caste identities have gone irrelevant in this election. Caste calculus goes for a toss in the north — It is only in the south where caste still mattered and where Modi didn’t perform as well. Both the Prime Minister and the President are from the “lower castes” and first time in Indian history.
- Unlike other conservatives in the world, Modi government actively supported the Supreme Court judgment to decriminalise homosexuality. Congress, BJP reverse positions, come out in support of SC judgement
- Unlike Trump, Modi has little issue in accepting climate change. He was a key driving force behind Paris accords — UN Secretary General Thanks PM Modi For Contribution To Paris Agreement and got the UN award — PM Modi receives UN's Champions of the Earth award — because India is adding massive amounts of renewable power — India will add a record level of solar power capacity in 2019
- Conservatives are usually hawks when it comes to defense. And surely Modi did react strong when Pakistan sponsored terrorists attacked India. But, he also gave enough push for peace (PM Modi Reiterates Message of Peace and Progress After Imran Khan's Congratulatory Phone Call). For his 2014 swearing in ceremony he brought in the Pakistan PM among other south asian leaders and also made a surprised visit to Pakistan to push for peace: Modi in surprise visit to Pakistan — it just got derailed by their army.
- Then there is the curious case of Pragya Singh Thakur. She is accused in a terrorism case and also accused of praising the killer of Mahatma Gandhi. The conservative in me and the Gandhian in me has serious problems with this person. But, I cannot understand why would a real liberal have a problem with this. She is just accused in this case and not convicted — meaning nothing is proven. Is not liberalism about giving criminals a chance and seeing them innocent until proven guilty? Even if proven guilty, there should be lesser issue for a liberal. Sanjay Dutt — a convicted terrorist — is actively campaigning for the liberals. Sanjay Dutt campaigns for sister Priya in Mumbai North Central LS seat. She said Godse was a patriot, but liberals are for free speech, right? Especially in India, it is the liberals who often attack the Mahatma as he had a friction with their icon Ambedkar.
More welfare schemes, more gender parity, support for decriminalising homosexuality, push for peace and rendering caste lines redundant. Is that not what being liberal is?
Why do Indian liberals still hate Modi? It is because India doesn’t have a true liberal movement. Unlike the rest of the world, Indian liberals don’t stand for free speech, social welfare respect for cultures, gender equality and abolition of racism.
Indian liberals back xenophobic parties such as the DMK and TMC that spew hatred on the outsiders — especially north Indians. They back outdated laws that allows Muslim men to divorce their wives without any real legal protection. They back laws that allow Muslim women to not have any real alimony. They back banning of books like Satanic Verses and make a big fuss when the author [an Indian] to attend the Jaipur lit fest (Why Salman Rushdie's voice was silenced in Jaipur).
Indian liberals back leaders such as Mayawati and Lalu Prasad who both did enormous corruption as well as split people on caste lines. Indian liberals vote for parties that is built around dynasties, when globally leftists bring down monarchies. And back leaders who drive away award winning authors [ Taslima Nasreen denied entry into Aurangabad over AIMIM legislator's protest, sent back from airport]. While Indian conservatives have also done some of the same, 2019 was different.
In short, this is a victory for real liberalism and a defeat of the warped liberalism India practiced until now.