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The Scenario of Coalition Politics in India: an Overview Sonia Lect International Journal of Research p-I SSN: 2348-6848 e-I SSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Vol ume 02 I s s ue 12 December 2015 The Scenario of Coalition Politics in India: An Overview Sonia Lect. in Political Sci. G.S.S. School, Gudha District: Jhajjar (Haryana) Abstract: and parcel of Indian political system and it will also exist in future, is The fact is that the first occasion in assumed by most of the intellectuals in Indian politics came in 1977 when the India very recently. first coalition government was formed by the Janta Party Leader, Morarji Keywords: Indian Politics, Coalition Desai. But after the fall of this Government, UPA, NDA, Regional government, a radical political change Parties. in Indian politics emerged and a short Introduction: A coalition government lived coalition government was formed is the product of a particular political by Charan Singh. Than in 1989 an era situation in which no political party is of regional parties emerged and from found in achieving a clear mandate. In 1989 to 2009 Indian politics such political scenario, a number of experienced many coalition political parties join hands and form an governments. Recently in 2014 NDA ally and prove majority at the floor of has formed a new type of coalition the elected legislature that may be Lok which has been made possible even Sabha or Vidhan Sabha. However, this after a full majority of BJP winning process may be executed before or after 282 seats in 16th Lok Sabha Elections. the elections. Moreover, Indian However, some of the political analysts democracy has shown a remarkable argue that the era of coalition in India flexibility in different kinds of political has withered away, but on the whole it situations and has acquired a fair would be wrong to forecast such degree of political stability in the recent statement. We cannot ignore the fact political scenario after the 16th Lok that coalition politics has become a part Sabha elections. Nevertheless, we Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1281 International Journal of Research p-I SSN: 2348-6848 e-I SSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Vol ume 02 I s s ue 12 December 2015 can’t ignore the fact that the decent reference books. To pace the study, an competition among various political analytical and empirical approach has parties has compelled Indian party been used. However, the research has system to move towards strong and also been supported by the cooperative federal policy in the observational facts by the researcher. country. The Concept of Coalition Politics: The Research Objectives: However, the word ‘Coalition’ is derived from the present study highlights the political Latin word ‘Coalitio’ which means to scenario of coalition governments in grow together. Most of the scholars India at the centre level from 1989 to assume the fact that this term may be 2014. Nevertheless, some of the defined as a cooperative arrangement research objectives of the study are as under which distinct political parties or under: all members of such parties unite to form a government or ministry. In . To highlight the political general, the term coalition means scenario in the era of coalition temporary combination of groups or politics in India. individuals formed to pursue specific . To analyze the political objectives through joint action. performance of regional and Nevertheless, the term used in political national parties in coalition science, has gained currency out of the politics from 1989 to 2014. exigencies of a multi-party system in . To highlight the recent trends the democratic set up of India after in coalition politics in India. 1989. Research Methodology: The present P. Yellaiah writes, “The term research paper is based on the coalition politics in the comparative secondary sources of data collection. political theory discursively refers to For this purpose, the study material has the phenomenon of inter-party been collected from various journals, grouping of the government and the magazines, newspapers, websites and opposition in the parliament setting Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1282 International Journal of Research p-I SSN: 2348-6848 e-I SSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Vol ume 02 I s s ue 12 December 2015 without a clear majority for any one continued till 2009. Regarding the political party”. tendency of coalition politics in India, J.S. Kundu remarks: “After the 9th Lok The Scenario of Coalition Politics in Sabha elections in 1989, any political India: The first general elections in party was not in a position to form a 1952 gave the remarkable results with government with full majority. full dominance of Congress party and it Therefore, the experiment of coalition won 364 seats out of 489 seats. Then in was used to form the government. 1957, it won 371 seats out of 494 seats However, this was the beginning of a and 360 seats in 1962 in the 3rd Lok golden era of coalition politics in India Sabha elections. Thus the initial phase which continued till; but all the of Indian politics at the centre level was coalition governments during this dominated by the Congress party under period were formed with the help of the leadership of Pt. J.L. Nehru which regional parties and remained hung continued till 1967. But in 1967, in governments with minority support.” many states the hegemony of Congress was broken out by some regional Here it is also noteworthy that parties and now a tendency of coalition 9th Lok Sabha elections gave a politics was experienced in many scattered mandate and a coalition states; but at the centre level it was government formed by BJP and Janta experienced in 1977 when the Janta Dal during 1st December 1989 to 7th Party formed a coalition government November 1990. This was a “National with the help of its allies. However, this Front Government” headed by Prime government could not remain in power Minister V.P. Singh. This government for a long time. fell very soon after a period of 341 days including the rule of P.M. Most of the political analysts Chander Shekhar. Meanwhile, after assume the fact that the 9th Lok Sabha Lok Sabha elections in 1991, a new elections in 1989 gave a fragmented coalition government was formed mandate and a new era of coalition under the leadership of Prime Minister politics in India started which Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1283 International Journal of Research p-I SSN: 2348-6848 e-I SSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Vol ume 02 I s s ue 12 December 2015 P.V. Narsimha Rao which continued help of 23 regional parties. It was the till 1996. Meanwhile, during and after largest number in the history of Indian the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, the political system. This government emergence of regional parties went on remained in power for five years. Then more vigorously which resulted the after the 2004 general elections the dawn of more powerful coalition era in UPA led by the Congress formed a Indian politics by grouping the regional coalition government under the allies while forming the government at leadership of Prime Minister centre level. However, during this time Manmohan Singh which was repeated all the national parties lacked a nation in 2009 Lok Sabha Elections which vide vision and the emergence of was called UPA-II. Now in 2014 Lok regional parties became a dominant Sabha elections NDA won 336 seats factor in to the power corridor at the out of which BJP won a full majority centre level in India. with winning of 282 seats and formed a coalition government including its 12 Furthermore, after the general allied parties under the leadership of elections in 1998, BJP emerged as the Prime Minister Sh. Narendera Modi. single largest party with winning 182 seats and it formed a coalition Political Performance of National government of 13 months with the help and Regional Parties (1989- 2009): of its allies Akali Dal (s), DMK, BJD, The fact is that the emergence of Janta Dal, Lok Shakti and Shiv Sena. regional parties in Indian politics gave On the whole this coalition government a great set back to all national parties included 13 regional parties and it was and consequently they decreased the supported by TMC from outside .But in vote bank of national parties. The 1999 Lok Sabha elections BJP and its scenario of political performance of allies (NDA) secured a comfortable national and regional parties from 1989 majority and Prime Minister Atal to 2009 is given as under: Bihari Vajpayee took the oath with the Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1284 International Journal of Research p-I SSN: 2348-6848 e-I SSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Vol ume 02 I s s ue 12 December 2015 Table – 1: Political Performance of National and Regional Parties S.N. Party 1989 1991 1996 1998 1999 2004 2009 1 Congress 39.5 36.6 28.8 25.8 28.3 26.5 28.6 2 BJP 11.4 20.1 20.3 25.6 23.8 22.2 18.8 3 BSP 2.1 1.8 4.0 4.7 4.2 5.3 6.2 4 Left 10.2 9.7 9.1 7.8 7.6 7.9 7.5 5 Regional Parties 27.1 21.1 26.2 29.3 29.5 29.3 28.4 (Source: Election Commission of India’s Reports 1989 to 2009) The data given in the table 1 government.
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