In this chapter…

In this last chapter we take a synoptic view of the last two decades of
politics in India. These developments are complex, for various kinds of
factors came together to produce unanticipated outcomes in this period.
The new era in politics was impossible to foresee; it is still very difficult to
understand. These developments are also controversial, for these involve
deep conflicts and we are still too close to the events. Yet we can ask
some questions central to the political change in this period.
• What are the implications of the rise of coalition politics for our
democracy?
• What is Mandalisation all about? In which ways will it change the
nature of political representation?
Ups and downs of
various political parties • What is the legacy of the Ramjanambhoomi movement and the
in the 1990s appeared Ayodhya demolition for the nature of political mobilisation?
to many, like this
cartoon drawn in 1990,
• What does the rise of a new policy consensus do to the nature of
as a roller coaster ride. political choices?
Riding the roller coaster
The chapter does not answer these questions. It simply gives you the
are Rajiv Gandhi, V.
P. Singh, L. K. Advani, necessary information and some tools so that you can ask and answer
Chandrashekhar, Jyoti these questions when you are through with this book. We cannot avoid
Basu, N. T. Rama Rao, asking these questions just because they are politically sensitive, for the
Devi Lal, P. K. Mahanta whole point of studying the history of politics in India since Independence
and K. Karunanidhi. is to make sense of our present.

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 chapter 8
Recent Developments
in Indian Politics
Context of the 1990s
You have read in the last chapter that Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime
Minister after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. He led the Congress
to a massive victory in the Lok Sabha elections held immediately
thereafter in 1984. As the decade of the eighties came to a close, the
country witnessed five developments that were to make a long-lasting
impact on our politics.

F
irst the most crucial development of this period was the defeat
of the Congress party in the elections held in 1989. The party
that had won as many as 415 seats in the Lok Sabha in 1984
was reduced to only 197 in this election. The Congress improved
its performance and came back to power soon after the mid-term
elections held in 1991. But the elections of 1989 marked the end of
what political scientists have called the ‘Congress system’. To be sure,
the Congress remained an important party and ruled the country
more than any other party even in this period since 1989. But it lost
the kind of centrality it earlier enjoyed in the party system.

I wish to find
out if the Congress
can still bounce back
to its old glory.

Congress leader Sitaram Kesri withdrew the crutches of support from Deve
Gowda’s United Front Government.

S
econd development was the rise of the ‘Mandal issue’ in national
politics. This followed the decision by the new National Front
government in 1990, to implement the recommendation of
the Mandal Commission that jobs in central government should be
reserved for the Other Backward Classes. This led to violent ‘anti-
Mandal’ protests in different parts of the country. This dispute between
the supporters and opponents of OBC reservations was known as the
‘Mandal issue’ and was to play an important role in shaping politics
since 1989.

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 138 Politics in India since Independence

ure
to be s on
I wish men
pheno m A reaction to Mandalisation.
if this e a long-ter

T
ld h a v
wou hird, the economic policy followed by the various governments
effect. took a radically different turn. This is known as the initiation
of the structural adjustment programme or the new economic
reforms. Started by Rajiv Gandhi, these changes first became very
visible in 1991 and radically changed the direction that the Indian
economy had pursued since Independence. These policies have been
widely criticised by various movements and organisations. But the
various governments that came to power in this period have continued
to follow these.
Credit: R. K. Laxman in the Times of India

I am n
if this ot clear
will m
differe ake a
especia nce to politic
lly if e s
the sa veryon ,
me po e h as
licy.

Manmohan Singh, the then Finance Minister, with Prime Minister Narsimha Rao, in
the initial phase of the ‘New Economic Policy’.

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 Recent Developments in Indian Politics 139

F
ourth, a number of events culminated in the demolition of
the disputed structure at Ayodhya (known as Babri Masjid) in
December 1992. This event symbolised and triggered various
changes in the politics of the country and intensified debates about
the nature of Indian nationalism and secularism. These developments
are associated with the rise of the BJP and the politics of ‘Hindutva’.

er how
I wond affect
ill
this w ies!
al part
politic

A reaction to rising communalism.

F
inally, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 led to a
change in leadership of the Congress party. He was assassinated
by a Sri Lankan Tamil linked to the LTTE when he was on
an election campaign tour in Tamil Nadu. In the elections of 1991,
Congress emerged as the single largest party. Following Rajiv Gandhi’s
death, the party chose Narsimha Rao as the Prime Minister.

1 May 1996 25 October 1995 20 August 2001 25 October 2004

Leadership in Congress made many headlines.

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 140 Politics in India since Independence

Era of Coalitions
Elections in 1989 led to the defeat of the Congress party but did not
result in a majority for any other party. Though the Congress was the
largest party in the Lok Sabha, it did not have a clear majority and
therefore, it decided to sit in the opposition. The National Front (which
itself was an alliance of Janata Dal and some other regional parties)
received support from two diametrically opposite political groups: the
BJP and the Left Front. On this basis, the National Front formed a
coalition government, but the BJP and the Left Front did not join in
this government.

Credit: Sudhir Tailang /HT Book of Cartoons

The National
Front
Government
lead by V. P.
Singh was
supported
by the Left
(represented
here by Jyoti
Basu) as well
as the BJP
(represented by
L. K. Advani)

Decline of Congress
The defeat of the Congress party marked the end of Congress dominance
over the Indian party system. Do you remember the discussion in
Chapters about the restoration of the Congress system? Way back in
the late sixties, the dominance of the Congress party was challenged;
but the Congress under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, managed to
re-establish its predominant position in politics. The nineties saw yet
another challenge to the predominant position of the Congress. It did
not, however, mean the emergence of any other single party to fill in
its place.

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 Recent Developments in Indian Politics 141

Thus, began an era of multi-party system. To be sure, a large

number of political parties always contested elections in our country.
Our Parliament always had representatives from several political
parties. What happened after 1989 was the emergence of several
parties in such a way that one or two parties did not get most of
the votes or seats. This also meant that no single party secured a
clear majority of seats in any Lok Sabha election held since 1989 till
2014. This development initiated an era of coalition governments at
the Centre, in which regional parties played a crucial role in forming
ruling alliances but in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP
got clear majority on its own.

Let’s re-search
Talk to your parents about their memories of the events happening
since the 1990s. Ask them what they felt were the most significant
events of the period. Sit together in groups and draw a comprehensive
list of the events reported by your parents, see which events get cited
most, and compare them with what the chapter suggests were the
most significant. You can also discuss why some events are more
important for some and not for others.

Alliance politics
The nineties also saw the emergence of powerful parties and movements
that represented the Dalit and backward castes (Other Backward
Classes or OBCs). Many of these parties represented powerful
regional assertion as well. These parties played an important role in
the United Front government that came to power in 1996. The United
Front was similar to the National Front of 1989 for it included Janata
Dal and several regional parties. This time the BJP did not support
the government. The United Front government was supported by
the Congress. This shows how unstable the political equations were.
In 1989, both the Left and the BJP supported the National Front
Government because they wanted to keep the Congress out of power.
In 1996, the Left continued to support the non-Congress government
but this time the Congress, supported it, as both the Congress and
the Left wanted to keep the BJP out of power.
They did not succeed for long, as the BJP continued to
consolidate its position in the elections of 1991 and 1996. It
emerged as the largest party in the 1996 election and was invited
to form the government. But most other parties were opposed to
its policies and therefore, the BJP government could not secure
a majority in the Lok Sabha. It finally came to power by leading

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 142 Politics in India since Independence

a coalition government from May 1998 to June 1999 and was

re-elected in October 1999. Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime
Minister during both these NDA governments and his government
formed in 1999 completed its full term.
Credit: Ajit Ninan/India Today

A cartoonist’s depiction of the change from one-party dominance to a multi-party

alliance system.

Thus, with the elections of 1989, a long phase of coalition politics

began in India. Since then, there have been eleven governments at
the Centre, all of which have either been coalition governments or
minority governments supported by other parties, which did not join
the government. In this new phase, any government could be formed
only with the participation or support of many regional parties. This
applied to the National Front in 1989, the United Front in 1996 and
1997, the NDA in 1997, the BJP-led coalition in 1998, the NDA in
1999, the UPA in 2004 and 2009.  However, this trend changed in 2014.
Let us connect this development with what we have learnt so far.
The era of coalition governments may be seen as a long-term trend
resulting from relatively silent changes that were taking place over
the last few decades.
We saw in Chapter Two that in earlier times, it was the Congress
party itself that was a ‘coalition’ of different interests and different social
strata and groups. This gave rise to the term ‘Congress system’.

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 Recent Developments in Indian Politics 143
CENTRAL GOVERNMENTS SINCE 1989

For more details about the current

and former Prime Ministers, visit
http://pmindia.gov.in/en
Note: The blank space is for you to record more information on the major policies, performance and controversies about that government.

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 144 Politics in India since Independence

We also saw in Chapters that, especially since the late 1960s,

various sections had been leaving the Congress fold and forming
separate political parties of their own. We also noted the rise of many
regional parties in the period after 1977. While these developments
weakened the Congress party, they did not enable any single party to
replace the Congress.

OK, coalitions
are the logic of I am
democratic politics in not worried
our kind of society. Does about whether
that mean that we will it is a single
always have coalitions? Or party or coalition
can the national parties government. I am
consolidate their more worried about
positions again? what they do. Does a
coalition government
involve more
compromises? Can
we not have bold and
imaginative policies
in a coalition?

Political Rise of Other Backward Classes

One long-term development of this period was the rise of Other
Backward Classes as a political force. You have already come across
this term ‘OBC’. This refers to the administrative category ‘Other
Backward Classes’. These are communities other than SC and ST
who suffer from educational and social backwardness. These are also
referred to as ‘backward castes’. We have already noted in Chapter
Six that the support for the Congress among many sections of the
‘backward castes’ had declined. This created a space for non-Congress
parties that drew more support from these communities. You would
recall that the rise of these parties first found political expression
at the national level in the form of the Janata Party government in
1977. Many of the constituents of the Janata Party, like the Bharatiya
Kranti Dal and the Samyukta Socialist Party, had a powerful rural
base among some sections of the OBC.

‘Mandal’ implemented
In the 1980s, the Janata Dal brought together a similar combination
of political groups with strong support among the OBCs. The decision
of the National Front government to implement the recommendations

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 Recent Developments in Indian Politics 145

of the Mandal Commission further helped in shaping the politics of

‘Other Backward Classes’. The intense national debate for and against
reservation in jobs made people from the OBC communities more
aware of this identity. Thus, it helped those who wanted to mobilise
these groups in politics. This period saw the emergence of many
parties that sought better opportunities for OBCs in education and
employment and also raised the question of the share of power enjoyed
by the OBCs. These parties claimed that since OBCs constituted a
large segment of Indian society, it was only democratic that the OBCs
should get adequate representation in administration and have their
due share of political power.

Implementation of Mandal Commission report sparked off agitations and political upheavals.

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 146 Politics in India since Independence

The Mandal Commission

Reservations for the OBC were in existence in southern States since the 1960s,
if not earlier. But this policy was not operative in north Indian States. It was
during the tenure of Janata Party government in 1977-79 that the demand for
reservations for backward castes in north India and at the national level was
strongly raised. Karpoori Thakur, the then Chief Minister of Bihar, was a pioneer
in this direction. His government had introduced a new policy of reservations for
OBCs in Bihar. Following this, the central government appointed a Commission
in 1978 to look into and recommend ways to improve the conditions of the
backward classes. This was the second time since Independence that the
government had appointed such a commission. Therefore, this commission
was officially known as the Second Backward Classes Commission. Popularly,
the commission is known as the Mandal Commission, after the name of its
Chairperson, Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal.
The Mandal Commission was set up to
investigate the extent of educational and social
backwardness among various sections of Indian
society and recommend ways of identifying these
‘backward classes’. It was also expected to give
its recommendations on the ways in which this
backwardness could be ended. The Commission
gave its recommendations in 1980. By then the Janata
government had fallen. The Commission advised
that ‘backward classes’ should be understood to
mean ‘backward castes’, since many castes, other
B.P. Mandal than the Scheduled Castes, were also treated as
(1918-1982): M.P. from low in the caste hierarchy. The Commission did a
Bihar for 1967-1970 survey and found that these backward castes had
and 1977-1979; chaired a very low presence in both educational institutions
the Second Backward and in employment in public services. It therefore
Classes Commission recommended reserving 27 per cent of seats in
that recommended educational institutions and government jobs for
reservations for Other these groups. The Mandal Commission also made
Backward Classes; a many other recommendations, like, land reform, to
socialist leader from Bihar; improve the conditions of the OBCs.
Chief Minister of Bihar for
just a month and a half in In August 1990, the National Front government
1968; joined the Janata decided to implement one of the recommendations
Party in 1977. of Mandal Commission pertaining to reservations
for OBCs in jobs in the central government and its
undertakings. This decision sparked agitations and
violent protests in many cities of north India. The
decision was also challenged in the Supreme Court and came to be known
as the ‘Indira Sawhney case’, after the name of one of the petitioners. In
November 1992, the Supreme Court gave a ruling upholding the decision of
the government. There were some differences among political parties about
the manner of implementation of this decision. But now the policy of reservation
for OBCs has support of all the major political parties of the country.

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 Recent Developments in Indian Politics 147

Political fallouts
The 1980s also saw the rise of political organisation of the Dalits.
In 1978 the Backward and Minority Communities Employees
Federation (BAMCEF) was formed. This organisation was not an
ordinary trade union of government employees. It took a strong
position in favour of political power to the ‘bahujan’ – the SC,
ST, OBC and minorities. It was out of this that the subsequent
Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti and later the Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) emerged under the leadership of Kanshi
Ram. The BSP began as a small party supported largely by Dalit
voters in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. But in 1989 and
the 1991 elections, it achieved a breakthrough in Uttar Pradesh.
This was the first time in independent India that a political
party supported mainly by Dalit voters had achieved this kind of
political success.
In fact, the BSP, under Kanshi Ram’s leadership was envisaged
as an organisation based on pragmatic politics. It derived
confidence from the fact that the Bahujans (SC, ST, OBC and
religious minorities) constituted the majority of the population,
and were a formidable political force on the strength of their
numbers. Since then the BSP has emerged as a major political
player in the State and has been in government on more than one
occasion. Its strongest support still comes from Dalit voters, but
it has expanded its support now to various other social groups. In
many parts of India, Dalit politics and OBC politics have developed Kanshi Ram
independently and often in competition with each other. (1934-2006):
Proponent
Will of Bahujan
this benefit empowerment and
leaders of all the founder of Bahujan
backward and Dalit Samaj Party (BSP);
communities? Or will the left his central
gains be monopolised by some
powerful castes and families
government job for
within these groups? social and political
work; founder of
BAMCEF, DS-4
and finally the
The real point BSP in 1984;
is not the leaders but astute political
the people! Will this lead strategist, he
to better policies and effective regarded political
implementation for the really power as master
deprived people? Or will it remain
key to attaining
just a political game?
social equality;
credited with Dalit
resurgence in north
Indian States.

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 148 Politics in India since Independence

Communalism, Secularism, Democracy

The other long-term development during this period was the rise
of politics based on religious identity, leading to a debate about
secularism and democracy. We noted in Chapter Six that in the
aftermath of the Emergency, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh had
merged into the Janata Party. After the fall of the Janata Party and
its break-up, the supporters of erstwhile Jana Sangh formed the
Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) in 1980. Initially, the BJP adopted a
broader political platform than that of the Jana Sangh. It embraced
‘Gandhian Socialism’ as its ideology. But it did not get much success
in the elections held in 1980 and 1984. After 1986, the party began
to emphasise the Hindu nationalist element in its ideology. The
BJP pursued the politics of ‘Hindutva’ and adopted the strategy of
mobilising the Hindus.
Hindutva literally means ‘Hinduness’ and was defined by its
originator, V. D. Savarkar, as the basis of Indian (in his language
also Hindu) nationhood. It basically meant that to be members of
the Indian nation, everyone must not only accept India as their
‘fatherland’ (pitrubhu) but also as their holy land (punyabhu).
Believers of ‘Hindutva’ argue that a strong nation can be built only
on the basis of a strong and united national culture. They also
believe that in the case of India the Hindu culture alone can provide
this base.
Two developments around 1986 became central to the politics
of BJP as a ‘Hindutva’ party. The first was the Shah Bano case in
1985. In this case a 62-year old divorced Muslim woman, had filed a
case for maintenance from her former husband. The Supreme Court
ruled in her favour. The orthodox Muslims saw the Supreme Court’s
order as an interference in Muslim Personal Law. On the demand of
some Muslim leaders, the government passed the Muslim Women
(Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 that nullified the Supreme
Court’s judgment. This action of the government was opposed by
many women’s organisations, many Muslim groups and most of
the intellectuals. The BJP criticised this action of the Congress
government as an unnecessary concession and ‘appeasement’ of the
minority community.

Ayodhya dispute
The second development was the order by the Faizabad district
court in February 1986. The court ordered that the Babri Masjid
premises be unlocked so that Hindus could offer prayers at the
site which they considered as a temple. A dispute had been going
on for many decades over the mosque known as Babri Masjid at
Ayodhya. The Babri Masjid was a 16th century mosque in Ayodhya
and was built by Mir Baqi – Mughal emperor Babur’s General. Some

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 Recent Developments in Indian Politics 149

Hindus believe that it was built after demolishing a temple for Lord
Rama in what is believed to be his birthplace. The dispute took
the form of a court case and has continued for many decades. In
the late 1940s the mosque was locked up as the matter was with
the court.
As soon as the locks of the Babri Masjid were opened, mobilisation
began on both sides. Many Hindu and Muslim organisations tried
to mobilise their communities on this question. Suddenly this local
dispute became a major national question and led to communal
tensions. The BJP made this issue its major electoral and political
plank. Along with many other organisations like the RSS and the
Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), it convened a series of symbolic
and mobilisational programmes. This large scale mobilisation led to
surcharged atmosphere and many instances of communal violence.
The BJP, in order to generate public support, took out a massive
march called the Rathyatra from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya
in UP.

Demolition and after

In December 1992, the organisations supporting the construction
of the temple had organised a Karseva, meaning voluntary service
by the devotees, for building the Ram temple. The situation

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 150 Politics in India since Independence

wise):
(Clock neer
Credit eer, The Pio
e P io n a n . had become tense all over the country and especially at
Th sm
e State
and Th Ayodhya. The Supreme Court had ordered the State government
to take care that the disputed site will not be endangered. However,
thousands of people gathered from all over the country at Ayodhya on 6
December 1992 and demolished the mosque. This news led to clashes
between the Hindus and Muslims in many parts of the country. The
violence in Mumbai erupted again in January 1993 and continued for
over two weeks.
The events at Ayodhya led to a series of other developments. The
State government, with the BJP as the ruling party, was dismissed
by the Centre. Along with that, other States where the BJP was
in power, were also put under President’s rule. A case against the
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh was registered in the Supreme Court
for contempt of court since he had given an undertaking that the
disputed structure will be protected. The BJP officially expressed
regret over the happenings at Ayodhya. The central government
appointed a commission to investigate into the circumstances leading

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 Recent Developments in Indian Politics 151

to the demolition of the mosque. Most political parties condemned

the demolition and declared that this was against the principles of
secularism. This led to a serious debate over secularism and posed the
kind of questions our country faced immediately after Partition – was
India going to be a country where the majority religious community
dominated over the minorities? Or would India continue to offer
equal protection of law and equal citizenship rights to all Indians
irrespective of their religion?
During this time, there has also been a debate about using
religious sentiments for electoral purposes. India’s democratic
politics is based on the premise that all religious communities enjoy
the freedom that they may join any party and that there will not be
community-based political parties. This democratic atmosphere of
communal amity has faced many challenges since 1984. As we have
read in Chapter Eight, this happened in 1984 in the form of anti-Sikh
riots. In February-March 2002, similar violence broke out against the
Muslims in Gujarat. Such violence against the minority community
and violence between two communities is a threat to democracy.

“
These proceedings have the echo of the disastrous event that ended in the demolition on the 6th December,
1992 of the disputed structure of ‘Ram Janam Bhoomi-Babri Masjid’ in Ayodhya. Thousands of innocent lives of
citizens were lost, extensive damage to property caused and more than all a damage to the image of this great land
as one fostering great traditions of tolerance, faith, brotherhood amongst the various communities inhabiting the
land was impaired in the international scene.
“
It is unhappy that a leader of a political party and the Chief Minister has to be convicted of an offence of Contempt
of Court. But it has to be done to uphold the majesty of law. We convict him of the offence of contempt of Court.
Since the contempt raises larger issues which affect the very foundation of the secular fabric of our nation, we also
sentence him to a token imprisonment of one day.

Chief Justice Venkatachaliah and Justice G.N. Ray of Supreme Court

Observations in a judgement on the failure of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh to keep the promise that he
had made before the National Integration Council to protect the ‘Ram Janam Bhumi-Babri Masjid’ structure,
Mohd. Aslam v. Union of India, 24 October 1994

Emergence of a new consensus

The period after 1989 is seen sometimes as the period of decline of
Congress and rise of BJP. If you want to understand the complex
nature of political competition in this period, you have to compare the
electoral performances of the Congress and the BJP.

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 152 Politics in India since Independence

Party Position (Number of seats won) in Lok Sabha

Vote Share
per cent of vote share

Now let us try to understand the meaning of the information given in

the figure.
• You will notice that BJP and Congress were engaged in a tough
competition in this period. What is the difference between their
electoral fortunes if you compare these with the 1984 elections?
.• You will notice that since the 1989 election, the votes polled by
the two parties, Congress and the BJP do not add up to more than
fifty per cent. The seats won by them too, do not add up to more
than half the seats in the Lok Sabha. So, where did the rest of the
votes and seats go?
• Look at both the charts showing Congress and Janata ‘family’ of
parties. Which among the parties that exist today are neither part
of Congress family of parties nor part of Janata family of parties?

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 Recent Developments in Indian Politics 153

• The political competition during the nineties is divided between

the coalition led by BJP and the coalition led by the Congress.
Can you list the parties that are not part of any of these two
coalitions?

Lok Sabha Elections 2004

In the elections of 2004, the Congress party too entered into coalitions
in a big way. The NDA was defeated and a new coalition government
led by the Congress, known as the United Progressive Alliance came to
power. This government received support from the Left Front parties.
The elections of 2004 also witnessed the partial revival of Congress
party. It could increase its seats for the first time since 1991. However,
in the 2004 elections, there was a negligible difference between the
votes polled by the Congress and its allies and the BJP and its allies.
Thus, the party system has now changed almost dramatically from
what it was till the seventies.
The political processes that are unfolding around us after the
1990s show the emergence of broadly four groups of parties – parties
that are in coalition with the Congress; parties that are in alliance
with the BJP; Left Front parties; and other parties who are not part of
any of these three. The situation suggests that political competition
will be multi-cornered. By implication the situation also assumes a
divergence of political ideologies.

Growing consensus
However, on many crucial issues, a broad agreement has emerged
among most parties. In the midst of severe competition and many
conflicts, a consensus appears to have emerged among most parties.
This consensus consists of four elements.

F
irst, agreement on new economic policies – while many groups
are opposed to the new economic policies, most political parties
are in support of the new economic policies. Most parties believe
that these policies would lead the country to prosperity and a status
of economic power in the world.

S
econd, acceptance of the political and social claims of the
backward castes – political parties have recognised that the
social and political claims of the backward castes need to be
accepted. As a result, all political parties now support reservation
of seats for the ‘backward classes’ in education and employment.
Political parties are also willing to ensure that the OBCs get adequate
share of power.

T
hird, acceptance of the role of State level parties in governance
of the country – the distinction between State level and national
level parties is fast becoming less important. As we saw in this

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 154 Politics in India since Independence

Note: This illustration is not a map drawn to scale and should not be taken to be an authentic
depiction of India’s external boundaries.

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 Recent Developments in Indian Politics 155

chapter, State level parties are sharing power at the national level
and have played a central role in the country’s politics of last twenty
years or so.

F
ourth, emphasis on pragmatic considerations rather than
ideological positions and political alliances without ideological
agreement – coalition politics has shifted the focus of political
parties from ideological differences to power sharing arrangements.
Thus, most parties of the NDA did not agree with the ‘Hindutva’
ideology of the BJP. Yet, they came together to form a government
and remained in power for a full term.
All these are momentous changes and are going to shape politics
in the near future. We started this study of politics in India with the
discussion of how the Congress emerged as a dominant party. From
that situation, we have now arrived at a more competitive politics,
but politics that is based on a certain implicit agreement among
the main political actors. Thus, even as political parties act within
the sphere of this consenus, popular movements and organisations
are simultaneously identifying new forms, visions and pathways of
development. Issues like poverty, displacement, minimum wages,
livelihood and social security are being put on the political agenda
by peoples’ movements, reminding the state of its responsibility.
Similarly, issues of justice and democracy are being voiced by the
people in terms of class, caste, gender and regions. We cannot predict
the future of democracy. All we know is that democratic politics is
here to stay in India and that it will unfold through a continuous
churning of some of the factors mentioned in this chapter.

1990: Will V. P. November 1990: June 1991: Will June 1996: Will
Singh survive? Will Shekhar Rao survive? Gowda survive? Or may be
That survive? the real question
is my is – will democracy
question – will offer meaningful
democracy political choices?
survive?
Credit: Ravishankar/India Today

April 1997: Will March 1998: Will

Gujral survive? Vajpayee survive?

2000:
Will India
survive?

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 156 Politics in India since Independence

Party Position in 17th Lok Sabha

Others
20%

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)

2%
Biju Janata Dal (BJD)
2%
Bharatiya Janata
Janata Dal United (JD-U) Party (BJP)
3% 56%
Shiv Sena (SS)
3%

Draida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)

4%

Indian National Congress (INC)

10%

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 303

Indian National Congress (INC) 52

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) 24

Shiv Sena (SS) 18

Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] 16

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) 12

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 10

Other Parties 108

Source: http://loksabha.nic.in

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Recent Developments in Indian Politics 157

1. Unscramble a bunch of disarranged press clipping file of Unni-Munni…

and arrange the file chronologically.
(a) Mandal Recommendations and Anti Reservation Stir
(b) Formation of the Janata Dal
(c) The demolition of Babri Masjid
(d) Assassination of Indira Gandhi
(e) The formation of NDA government
(f) Formation of the UPA government

2. Match the following.

(a) Politics of Consensus i. Shah Bano case
(b) Caste based parties ii. Rise of OBCs
(c) Personal Law and iii. Coalition government
Gender Justice iv. Agreement on Economic
(d) Growing strength of policies
Regional parties

EXERCISES
3. State the main issues in Indian politics in the period after 1989. What
different configurations of political parties these differences lead to?
4. “In the new era of coalition politics, political parties are not aligning or re-
aligning on the basis of ideology.” What arguments would you put forward
to support or oppose this statement?
5. Trace the emergence of BJP as a significant force in post-Emergency
politics.
6. In spite of the decline of Congress dominance, the Congress party
continues to influence politics in the country. Do you agree? Give reasons.
7. Many people think that a two-party system is required for successful
democracy. Drawing from India’s experience of last 30 years, write an
essay on what advantages the present party system in India has.
8. Read the passage and answer the questions below:
Party politics in India has confronted numerous challenges. Not only
has the Congress system destroyed itself, but the fragmentation of the
Congress coalition has triggered a new emphasis on self-representation
which raises questions about the party system and its capacity to
accommodate diverse interests, …. . An important test facing the polity is
to evolve a party system or political parties that can effectively articulate
and aggregate a variety of interests. — Zoya Hasan

(a) Write a short note on what the author calls challenges of the
party system in the light of what you have read in this chapter.
(b) Given an example from this chapter of the lack of accommodation
and aggregation mentioned in this passage.
(c) Why is it necessary for parties to accommodate and aggregate
variety of interests?

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158 Politics in India since Independence

LET US DO IT TOGETHER
• This chapter covers the major developments in Indian politics until
the 2004 Elections (14th Lok Sabha). Subsequently, the Lok Sabha
elections were held in 2009, during which the UPA led by the Congress
won. In the 2014 and 2019 Elections, the NDA led by the BJP emerged
victorious. The position of various parties in the 17th Lok Sabha is given
on page 193.
• A detailed study of Members of the 17th Lok Sabha is available on the
website of the Lok Sabha (http://loksabha.nic.in).
• Compare and contrast the electoral performances of various political
parties since 2004. The table given below can be used for this. You can
also collect the data about the results from the website of the Election
Commission of India (http://eci.nic.in).
• Prepare a timeline of the major political events in India since 2004.
EXERCISES

Share and discuss it in your classroom.

Party Positions in Indian Parliament since 2004

Party 2004 2009 2014 2019

1 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) - - 4 1
2 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 0 9 37 1
(AIADMK)
3 Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 19 21 - 10
4 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 138 116 282 303
5 Biju Janata Dal (BJD) 11 14 20 12
6 Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M) 43 16 9 3
7 Communist Party of India (CPI) 10 4 1 2
8 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) 16 18 - 24
9 Indian National Congress(INC) 145 206 44 52
10 Janata Dal - United (JD -U) 8 20 2 16
11 Janata Dal -Secular (JD - S) 3 3 2 1
12 Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJSP) 4 - 6 6
13 Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 9 9 6 5
14 Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) 24 4 4 -
15 Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) 3 5 1 -
16 Samajwadi Party (SP) 36 23 5 5
17 Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) 8 4 4 2
18 Shiv Sena (SS) 12 11 18 18
19 Others 54 60 98 82
Total 543 543 543 543
Total Positions in Indian Parliament : 545 (530 from States, 13 from UTs and 2
from Anglo-Indian Community are nominated by President)

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 Notes

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