Context of the 1990s
- 1984: after Indira Gandhi's assassination, Congress under Rajiv Gandhi won 415 seats.
- 1989: Congress fell to 197; the National Front (Janata Dal and regional parties) formed a government under V.P. Singh, with outside support from the BJP and the Left. This ended Congress dominance.
- 1991: Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated during the campaign; P.V. Narasimha Rao became PM of a minority Congress government and started the New Economic Policy (liberalisation).
- Five big developments of this period: end of Congress dominance, Mandal issue, new economic policy, the Ayodhya dispute, and the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
The coalition era
A coalition government is formed when two or more parties join to reach a majority (272 in the Lok Sabha).
- National Front (1989-90): V.P. Singh, then Chandra Shekhar.
- United Front (1996-98): H.D. Deve Gowda, then I.K. Gujral, supported by Congress from outside. (In 1996 A.B. Vajpayee's BJP government lasted only 13 days.)
- NDA (1998-2004): BJP-led, PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee; the 1999 NDA completed a full term.
- UPA (2004-14): Congress-led, PM Manmohan Singh, with the Left's outside support in 2004-08.
Why coalitions?
Voters were divided among many parties; regional parties became strong in their states; no party could win a majority alone.
New political trends
Political rise of OBCs
The Mandal Commission (1978-80, B.P. Mandal) recommended 27% reservation for OBCs in central jobs and education. In 1990 the V.P. Singh government applied it to jobs. There were protests; the Supreme Court upheld it in the Indra Sawhney case (1992). Many OBC-based parties (e.g. Samajwadi Party, RJD) grew.
Dalit politics
Kanshi Ram formed the BSP in 1984. Mayawati later became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh several times.
Communalism, secularism and democracy
The BJP grew in the 1990s with the Ayodhya (Ram Janmabhoomi) movement. The disputed structure at Ayodhya was demolished in December 1992, followed by riots. In 2002 violence in Gujarat after the Godhra train fire raised questions about protecting all citizens. In 2019 the Supreme Court settled the Ayodhya land dispute. These events show that democracy needs equal protection for all communities.
Growing consensus
- Most parties support the new economic policies.
- Acceptance of the social and political claims of backward castes.
- Acceptance of the role of state-level parties in national government.
- Pragmatism rather than ideology decides alliances.
Recent elections
- 2014: BJP won 282 seats, the first single-party majority since 1984; Narendra Modi became PM heading the NDA. Congress fell to 44.
- 2019: BJP rose to 303; NDA over 350.
- 2024: BJP won 240, short of a majority; the NDA (with allies such as TDP and JD(U)) won about 293 and formed the government; Modi began a third term. The opposition INDIA bloc won about 234 seats. Coalition politics returned in a new form.
Trends to note
Higher voter turnout, more women voters, use of technology and social media in campaigns, and continued strength of regional parties in many states.
Try it
In the 3D free play, start with a big party of 220 seats. Add allies one by one. What is the smallest set of allies that crosses 272? Why would each ally want a say in policy?
Key formulas and definitions
- Lok Sabha majority = 272 of 543
- 1984 Congress 415 โ 1989 Congress 197 (end of Congress system)
- Coalitions: NF 1989, UF 1996, NDA 1998-2004, UPA 2004-14
- Mandal: 27% OBC reservation (applied 1990; upheld 1992)
- BSP: Kanshi Ram, 1984
- BJP seats: 2014 282, 2019 303, 2024 240 (NDA government)
Worked examples
1. Why did coalition governments become common after 1989?
Votes split among national and regional parties, OBC and Dalit parties grew, and no party could win 272 seats alone.
2. What did the Mandal Commission recommend?
27% reservation for Other Backward Classes in central government jobs and educational institutions.
3. Why is 2024 described as a return of coalition politics?
The BJP won 240 seats, below 272, so it needed allies like TDP and JD(U) in the NDA to form the government.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the NDA is a single party. It is a BJP-led alliance.
- Saying Mandal was implemented in 1980. The report came in 1980; it was applied in 1990.
- Mixing United Front (1996) with National Front (1989).
- Thinking BJP won a majority alone in 2024. It won 240 seats.