(a) Describe any four factors responsible for the rise of coalition governments at the centre after the year 1989.
OR
(b) Describe any four issues on which a broad agreement has emerged among most political parties.
(a) Describe any four factors responsible for the rise of coalition governments at the centre after the year 1989.
OR
(b) Describe any four issues on which a broad agreement has emerged among most political parties.
(a) Four factors behind the rise of coalition governments after 1989:
- Erosion of the Congress system: The steady decline of Congress's dominance meant no single party could secure a Lok Sabha majority on its own between 1989 and 2014, making pre- or post-poll alliances necessary to form a government.
- Growth of strong regional parties: Parties such as the DMK/AIADMK, Telugu Desam Party, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena and Asom Gana Parishad grew powerful within their states and sought a share in central power by allying with national parties.
- Mandal-Mandir politics: Implementation of the Mandal Commission's OBC reservation recommendations (1990) and the Ram Janmabhoomi movement polarised the electorate along caste and religious lines, fragmenting the national vote share across multiple parties.
- Rising political assertion of diverse social groups: Greater political mobilisation of Dalits, backward classes, minorities and women created space for numerous parties representing specific social identities, none large enough to govern alone, necessitating coalitions.
OR (b) Four issues of broad political consensus among parties:
- Agreement on the new economic policies: Almost all parties, across the ideological spectrum, now broadly accept the new economic policies of liberalisation and economic reforms, believing these will lead to prosperity, even while they differ on their pace and social safeguards.
- Acceptance of the political and social claims of the backward castes: Most parties now recognise and accept the political and social claims of the backward castes (OBCs), including reservation, so they are careful to give these groups due political representation.
- Acceptance of the role of state-level (regional) parties in governance of the country: Parties across the spectrum accept that state-level, regional parties now share power at the national level; the sharp distinction between national-level and state-level parties has narrowed, and central coalition governments depend on them.
- Emphasis on pragmatism rather than ideology: Political and electoral competition has become largely de-ideologised, with parties and leaders forming alliances and taking decisions guided by pragmatic considerations of power and electoral gain rather than by rigid ideological positions.
Marking Scheme
- 11.5 marks each for any four correctly described factors (part a) or consensus issues (part b), totalling 6 marks.
- 2Marks for clear, separate description of each point, not a single blended paragraph.
- 3Any four valid, NCERT-based points accepted even if different from those illustrated above.
Hint
For (a), think erosion of Congress dominance + regional parties + Mandal-Mandir politics + social group assertion; for (b), think new economic policies + claims of the backward castes + role of state-level (regional) parties + pragmatism over ideology.
Quick Oral Answer
Coalition governments rose after 1989 because no single party retained a majority as the Congress system eroded, regional parties grew stronger, and Mandal-Mandir politics fragmented the vote; despite competing, most parties now broadly agree on the new economic policies, the political and social claims of the backward castes, the role of state-level (regional) parties in governance, and pragmatism rather than ideology.
Analysis & Explanation
This descriptive question from 'Recent Developments in Indian Politics' explains the structural shift from single-party dominance to coalition politics in India after 1989.
Concept
- Until 1989, the 'Congress system' meant one party usually secured a working majority; from the 1989 elections onward, fragmented mandates became the norm, producing a series of coalition and minority governments (National Front, United Front, NDA, UPA) until a single party (BJP) again won a majority in 2014.
- Despite intense competitive politics, a rough consensus has emerged across most parties on certain policy questions, even as they continue to disagree sharply on many others — this consensus is what stabilises coalition governance.
Exam trap
- Do not describe only one factor/issue in depth when four distinct ones are demanded — CBSE markers look for four clearly separated points, each with its own brief explanation.
- Avoid confusing 'factors for coalition governments' (structural/political causes, part a) with 'areas of consensus' (shared policy positions despite competition, part b) — they answer different questions about the same era.
Real-world relevance
- This coalition era directly followed the collapse of one-party Congress dominance analysed via the Emergency and the 1977 elections (Q33-34 of this paper), showing how India's federal, socially diverse polity produces power-sharing arrangements even at the national level.
Common Mistakes
- 1Describing fewer than four factors/issues, or repeating the same point in different words to pad the answer.
- 2Confusing the causes of coalition politics (part a) with the areas of policy consensus among parties (part b).
- 3Ignoring Mandal-Mandir polarisation as a factor and focusing only on the decline of Congress.
Interesting Facts
India was governed by coalition or minority governments continuously from 1989 to 2014 — a 25-year stretch — before the BJP won a single-party majority in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The Mandal Commission's recommendation of 27% OBC reservation in central government jobs, implemented in 1990, triggered major protests but is now broadly accepted across the political spectrum.
The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (1992) gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies, reflecting the cross-party consensus on decentralisation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did coalition governments become common in India after 1989?
Because Congress's dominance eroded and no single party could win a Lok Sabha majority alone; regional parties grew stronger, and Mandal-Mandir politics fragmented the vote, making alliances necessary to form governments.
On which issues do most Indian political parties broadly agree today?
Most parties broadly agree on the new economic policies of liberalisation, the political and social claims of the backward castes, the role of state-level (regional) parties in governance of the country, and an emphasis on pragmatism rather than ideology.