Lesson-2 Trends in the Party System: From the Congress System to Multi Party Coalitions
Political party is a link between the people and the state.
In fact, democracy is not imaginable without Political involvement. So as an
essential part of it, calls for citizen’s participation in the political
process.
The groups articulate their interests and parties aggregate
them. This interaction works in the form of political parties. It mobilises and
competes for popular support on the basis of the programme of policies and
action which requires a democratic climate and an electoral process.
The quality of democracy in any country depends on the
character and conduct of political parties. The role of political parties in a
pluralistic society like India, becomes important as it is a democratic welfare
state.
The origin of the party system in Indian politics is largely
a result of historical development with the formation of the Indian National
Congress in 1885. Here a well organized national movement was allowed for
independence.
The parties of pressure function on the margin. Inside the
margin are various factions within the party of consensus and outside the
margin are several opposition group and parties. They constantly pressurize and
influence the ruling party.
Maurice Duverger aptly defined that electoral system leaves
its impression on the political lifetime of the country through political
parties only. In Indian party system, political party gains power through
competitive electoral battle.
Conducting free and fair election is the responsibility of
the Election Commission and due to its effort, electoral violence, misuse of
money, bogus voting have been substantially reduced. The oppressed and deprived
section of our population who could not even dare to travel to booth, are
electing their representative boldly.
There has been a change in the Indian party system which is
moving from one party dominance system to a multi-party competition, towards a
sort of coalition government. This is due to the rise of regional centres of
power.
Initially, Congress party played a crucial role in shaping
Indian party system but over a period of time, is responsible for the decay
that has set in Indian party system. The ‘catch- all’ character of the Congress
party had helped it to win election, without forcing any change in its policies
or leadership pattern.
Congress system was not open to the vulnerable section and
this could be due to the background of the political class. Charismatic
personality of Nehru helped it to stay in power to the top till the last decade
of sixties. In 1967 serious challenge to Congress dominance emerged and its
hegemony as a dominant party was challenged. Its ability to accommodate the
dissent, got challenged forcing many groups to interrupt away. When Mrs. Gandhi
came in power and began facing challenge, so as to consolidate her position she
decided to centralize the powers.
Congress to post-Congress transformation was never a simple
process. However, it led to the establishment of coalition government. The
emergence of NDA followed by UPA led to the changed pattern of representation.
Those regions/ communities which were feeling deprived, their sentiment was
taken by regional leaders to form regional parties.
The most important factor liable for the change in federal
political arrangement is nationalization of regional issues and regionalization
of national issues. In post 1989 period we observe an opposite trend towards
regionalization of Indian politics which reflects the representative character
of Indian polity.
In fact, regional parties have mushroomed in Indian politics
in large numbers in recent years. However barring few states, they did not
cause substantial change however many state governments were replaced by
national parties. However some regional governments just like the one in Bihar
and Orissa have shown the trail.
In India, party system has covered an extended journey from
one-party dominance to coalition government. And during this process democracy
has further got consolidated. Coalition governments are generally related to
instability.
The party system in India is exclusive in nature. It is been
characterised by one party dominant system with Congress occupying the Centre.
It became competitive both at the centre and at the states after 1967 general
elections.
Emerging Trends
It is essential to understand the nature of the party system
in democracy which has deepened more in the last seventy years in India.
Participation of weaker section has increased manifold thereby consolidating
democratic process. The pattern of representation to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
reflects that each segment of the population is getting represented.
Regional parties are ruling in many states and also a part
of ruling alliance at the central government. Defection, President rule,
election related violence etc. became a rarity. Right to information, Right to
education, Panchayati Raj act have really empowered and enlightened the common
public. However it does not mean that each on change had positive impact only.
Regional parties are ruling in many states and also a part
of ruling alliance at the central government. Defection, President rule,
election related violence etc. became a rarity. Right to information, Right to
education, Panchayati Raj act have really empowered and enlightened the common
public. However it does not mean that each on change had positive impact only.
However, in Indian democracy, it seems as an illusion. On
the whole, Indian democracy is passing through a transitional phase and
therefore the pace of change is extremely fast. On the one hand many issues are
addressed, some new issues have cropped up and a few old issues remain to be
resolved.
Finally, within the words of eminent historian, Ramchandra
Guha, Indian democracy to work inprogress and thus we would need to wait and
await new developments especially within the field of party system and
electoral politics in India.
The dynamics of the 2014 general election raised some
important questions about the contemporary Indian electoral politics.It was
experiencing a paradigm shift marked by less fragmentation, more popular
participation and weaker electoral competition. There was an increase in the
number of political parties and candidates during this election.
The debate is about whether India has left the age of
multipolarity, fragmentation, and coalitions behind in favour of a different,
dominant-party system. Different political scientists have their own views.
Some scholars have pointed out that India was witnessing the birth of a new
party system.
Finally, some were unwilling to form strong claims in light
of one data point. For example, Milan Vaishnav and Danielle Smogard concluded
their assessment of the 2014 results by noting that if the trends persist,
“India may well have closed the book on twenty-five years of electoral politics
and moved into a new era.”
The reason behind the BJPs success in 2014 is due to its
regional stronghold. Actually 75 percent of the BJP’s parliamentary tally in
2014 came from just eight states in the north, west, and central regions of the
country.
There is empirical support for more unequivocal judgments
for 2019 election results which come on the back of serious political changes.
Indeed, the available evidence points in one direction: 2014 wasnot an
aberration; it was instead a harbinger of a new era. India does appear to have
ushered in a new, fourth party system—one that is premised on a different set
of political principles which shows a clear break for what came before.
During the 2019 election, the BJP did the unthinkable: the
party clinched a second consecutive majority in the Lok Sabha, a feat that was
last accomplished by the Congress Party in 1980 and 1984. The competitiveness
that has prevailed in the system in recent decades means that in India’s first
past the post electoral system, a small share of candidates are winning
elections with the support of a majority of voters in their constituencies was
1989.
1952 To 1967: One-Party Dominance
The period between 1952 and 1967 inIndia’s party system is
characterised by the dominance of the Congress and the existence of smaller
opposition parties for both at the centre and the states. The social background
of the Congress leadership and its important role in the winning of the country’s
independence played a key role in placing it in a dominant position.
The appeal was to adhere on the ideas of Socialism,
Secularism Democracy and Federalism. The Indian national Congress (INC) was
ruling without coercion. Dominance by a single party coexisted with inter party
competition. Opposition parties had little hope of obtaining sizeable majority
at the legislatures inspite of the very fact that Congress didn't gain a
majority of the votes. Its votes varied from 49 to 40 percent.
The opposition party had little hope of preventing the
Congress from sizeable majority in the legislature despite the ruling party’s
failure. This could be due to the inadequacies of the opposite players on the
political scene. While a raft of opposition parties keenly contested elections,
opposition forces were badly fragmented, which limited their ability to mount a
significant campaign to unseat the Congress.
Thus within the Congress and not between the Congress and
the opposition parties that the major conflicts within Indian politics
occurred. According to Rajni Kothari, this phase was consisted of a party of
consensus and parties of pressure, where the latter functioned on the margin.
5.B.A Political Science Hons. History Lesson 4th Important Notes Part 2
1967 To 1977: Period of Dominant Party and Opposition at
the State Level
The year 1967 had created a situation during which the
congress dominance was strikingly reduced. The fifth Lok Sabha elections marked
the start of another phase of Indian party system and continued till 1975.
Despite the strong opposition the Congress won the general elections of 1971.
There was a clear rise in political competition and
political cleavages resulting from social change and so the new groups and
classes incorporated into the political system. The dominant party model had
shown the way to differentiated structure of party competition. Then parties
started aligning to make coalition governments.
The imposition of Emergency in 1975 led the erosion of the
popular support of the Congress party, decline of the institutions and
weakening of the party system by suspending freedom of press and representing
government. Thus this period marked the decline of the party system making them
rely on make shift electoral arrangements for the support.
1977-1989: Conflict between the Congress and Regional
Parties
1977 Elections saw the defeat of the Congress and
restoration of its rule in 1980. This period showed the possibility of
emergence of a two party system. But the possibility of this got failed due to
the disintegration of the Janata Party and dramatic reversal of the Congress in
the power.
There was distrust towards opposition. After the
assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, an emotional support was extended to
Rajiv Gandhi and the Congress. Then various electoral majorities in a
fragmented party system emerged where national parties did not command
widespread support across all regions of the country. The new political
situation after 1984 elections showed the dominance of Congress at the centre
but not in most of the states.
1989-2004: Multi Party System and Beginning of Coalition
Politics
The 1989 elections according to M.P. Singh had transformed
the scene at the centre.(15) With this the Indian party system has moved
rapidly to a competitive multi party system. It established a coalition
government at the centre formally and secondly acquired a true multi-party
character.
The National Front coalition of 1989-90 was a different
outcome. The spatially compatible loose alliance put together by the National
Front-BJP-Left however based on ideological incompatibility.
For the first time in 1991 elections no party came with
majority in the Lok Sabha nor could they form a coalition government. Moreover
people were more aware of their caste and class positions.
. This might be looked as a ‘second democratic upsurge’ from
below which was more coherently represented by the United Front, the BSP,SP and
RJD. With 1996 elections there was significant growth and role of regional
parties within the central politics which in turn signified politicization of
individuals living in remote areas. Caste had also played a crucial role at
this point. Success of BSP among Dalits consolidation of OBCs in Bihar and UP,
post-mandalisation leading to politics of reservation on caste basis and growth
of various sorts of caste associations mostly in north India showed a positive
corelation with election outcome. In this election BJP emerged as the single
largest party with 162 seats and took the lead in government formation.
The 1998 elections witnessed three coalitions. There have
been three contenders rather than two for power in 1991, 1996 1nd 1998
elections. Before 1991 the opposition parties had to figure together to
challenge the Congress party but after 1991 Congress was opposed even by BJP.
This situation continued till 1999 elections.
2004: Revival of Congress and Coalition Government
Congress Party had fulfilled the message of a single party
dominance/coalition between 1952 and 1989. From 1952 to 1977, the Congress
Party was controlling the power in New Delhi without interruption. Although the
Janata coalition ousted the Congress following Indira Gandhi’s termination of a
twenty-one-month period of Emergency Rule, its period was short-lived.
The 2004 elections gave an opportunity to all non-NDA
political parties to evolve an alternative political coalition led by Congress
in the name of UPA (United Progressive Alliance). The regional parties also had
played a significant role. It appeared that any party wishing to win a national
mandate has to weave its way through the different states and secure a verdict
in each of these.
The results of this election revealed that in states like
Kerala, Tripura, West Bengal and UP the electorate had many choices between the
NDA, the Congress Alliance and others. In each case the ‘others’ had a great
share of votes. It projected the likelihood of two alternative coalitions- The
Congress led UPA and the BJP led NDA.
2014: Towards Stable Equilibrium
In 2014 India again had a single party majority after 1984
in the name of BJP that belonged to the Indian National Congress eight
elections ago. Although BJP had majority on its own it headed for coalition
with its pre-election allies. The Congress was defeated and reduced to its
lowest ever vote share.
BJPs objective for future was to expand its base from the
present as its majority of 52% of Lok Sabha seats is very disproportionately based.
Despite the fragmentation and the creation of new regional
political outfits, states have witnessed a growing convergence around two
parties or alliances. These alliances are often fluid but their anchors remain
fairly constant.
These trends reflect low levels of trust in opportunistic
political cultures that have reduced the time horizons of coalition partners
engaged in multi-level political combats. In such context parties that
understand and seize the chances offered by coalition building have some
advantage.
While the struggle for power between castes and classes
dominates political life in the primary arena of state and panchayat politics
in India, regional aspirations are significant factors in the political
calculations that parties make when they enter the secondary arena which is
more concerned with national policy cohesion and federal governance.
While urban middle class were busy bashing politics and
politicians, the democratic space provided by electoral politics was being used
more deftly by marginalised social groups who voted not as individuals but as
groups and more often used their rights to reject very frequently.
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3.B.A Political Science 4th Lesson Important Notes
4. B.A. Political Science 5th Lesson Important Notes
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