Weakness behind support

Welfare spending is likely to increase

The broad focus of the national discourse over the past few weeks has been the alignment of political forces, with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Even as views on the feasibility and winnability of alliances are evolving, it is worth discussing what a perceived close contest can mean for economic management. It may still be early days to draw definitive conclusions, but some of the recently concluded Assembly elections and preparations for the upcoming ones offer hints. The focus is increasing on what is broadly termed welfare programmes. In Karnataka, for example, the Congress made a slew