Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday, 15 June 2026 credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's twelve years in office with an 'unprecedented transformation' in the empowerment and economic advancement of India's middle class, posting his assessment on X under the campaign hashtag #12YearsOfSakshamMiddleClass.

Context

In his post, CM Saini wrote that since 2014, the central government's 'people-centric policies' had made the middle class both a 'partner in development' and the 'primary foundation of India's progress.' He specifically cited income-tax relief, expansion of digital services, housing, health, and financial inclusion initiatives as measures that had made middle-class life 'more convenient, secure and empowered.'

The post is part of a broader BJP-led campaign marking twelve years of the Modi government, framing the middle class as a central beneficiary and driver of national growth. Saini, who leads the BJP government in Haryana, aligned his state-level voice with the national campaign narrative.

Policy Backdrop

The reforms highlighted by CM Saini span a decade of central government action. The Goods and Services Tax (GST), implemented on 1 July 2017, unified India's indirect tax structure by replacing multiple central and state levies — a reform the post credits with giving 'new momentum to economic activity.'

The Digital India programme, launched in August 2015, expanded digital infrastructure and e-governance, while Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, started in August 2014, brought millions of unbanked citizens into the formal financial system. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, launched in 2015, targeted affordable housing for urban and rural households, and Ayushman Bharat, rolled out in 2018, extended health insurance coverage to lower- and middle-income families.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, enacted in May 2016, further strengthened ease of doing business and credit discipline, contributing to the formalisation thrust that has characterised economic policy since 2014.

Stakeholders and Impact

CM Saini argued that the cumulative effect of these policies — modern infrastructure, improved transport networks, affordable digital connectivity, and technology-based services — had brought 'wide-ranging positive changes' to the daily lives of middle-class families. He described today's Indian middle class as 'more confident, aspirational, and full of opportunities.'

Small businesses and self-employed professionals, a significant segment of the middle class, have been among the stakeholders most directly affected by GST rationalisation and the rapid expansion of digital payment systems. The formalisation of the economy has widened the base of economic participants, even as compliance requirements have evolved over the period.

What's Next

Saini concluded by linking the empowered middle class to the Viksit Bharat vision — the government's official goal of transforming India into a developed economy by 2047. He stated that this 'capable middle class is playing an important role in realising the resolve of #ViksitBharat by driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth.'

Policy watchers will look to the next Union Budget for fresh middle-class provisions and to any updated progress metrics released under the Viksit Bharat framework, as the ruling party continues to position the middle class as both a political constituency and an economic engine heading into the latter half of the decade.