Q. What are the main reasons for the emergence of coalition politics in India? Discuss the prospects of these coalitions. [BPSC-2002] OR “Coalition politics in India has become a remarkable feature, but it is yet to provide a stable Government”.- Comment. [BPSC-2009]
The coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate, reducing the dominance of any one party within that “coalition”. The usual reason for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the election.
A coalition government might also be created in a time of national difficulty or crisis (for example, during wartime or economic crisis) to give a government the high degree of perceived political legitimacy or collective identity, it can also play a role in diminishing internal political strife. e.g. After independence, Nehru gave representation to various parties in council of ministers.
In India coalition government was formed in 1977 for the first time at center under the name of Janta Party. This form of government became more prevalent during 1990s.
However, in the 16th general election in May 2014, BJP secured majority on its own (first party to do so since 1984 election) and National Democratic Alliance came into power, with Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. In 2019, Narendra Modi got re-elected as Prime Minister for the second time as National Democratic Alliance again secured majority in the 17th general election.
Moreover, The present government is also a coalition government. It is argued that this is a “surplus coalition” government featuring a party that already has the strength to form a government but has taken on board other coalition partners.
Causes of emergence:
- in 1967 elections, the opposition parties realized that the division of their votes kept the Congress in power. This led to formation of anti-congress fronts and rise of ‘non-congressism’ in Indian politics. Congress lost in many states.
- From 1970s onwards there was decline of Congress system. i.e. it was lososing the ability to absorb all tensions and conflicts.
- Declaration of emergency once again brought the opposition together. Finally in 1989, the era of coalition started which is still continuing.
- the regional parties making in-roads into national politics.
- No single political party is able to secure a working majority.
- Huge diversity leading to diverse political preferences.
- Emergence of local parties based on caste and regional identities.
- Political opportunism: e.g.
- unlikely coalition the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, between JDU and RJD.
- Siva sena, Congress and NCP alliance in Maharashtra.
- Ram Vilas Paswan ji and Athawale ji finding being minister in all the government :D.
- Need to avoid frequent election and associated expenditure. e.g. BJP and PDP coalition in Kashmir.
- Need to give broad representation in Council of ministers and more legitimacy and acceptance to the government.
- the parties may not be adequately representative of the larger public, but only of smaller sections, regions, communities. In that situation, coalition is needed that allows for better representation.
- And historically, in India, coalitions only emerged when the Congress’s ability to be representative of the larger spectrum faded.
- The BJP won the majority of the seats in 2014 with only 31% of the vote share. Those votes were deeply concentrated in some areas of the country. To form a nationally representative government, it was required to bring in regional parties in the east and in the south into this coalition. This is not necessarily democratic but more representative of the country.
Points against coalition government:
- Unstable, weak government at the centre.
- In coalition era, the politics of “support from outside” has made the office of the Prime Minister a “lottery”, and this phenomenon has decisively weakened the governance at Centre.
- Every party to the coalition attempts to assert its own geographical, cultural and economic interests in the political process. The regional parties emphasis on the development of their region instead of focussing on the development of the nation as a whole.
- Coalitions of convenience tend not to have coherent policy agendas and tend to be divided from within. => coalition government turns into collision government => Policy paralysis.
- Whether they can frame policies and whether they can manage to put up a working Cabinet are two separate but important issues that matter to a working coalition.
- coalitions of convenience tend to more likely be corrupt and spend more money than those that are ideological because everyone has got a hand in the pot.
- The expansion of the influence of regional parties translated to the decrease in the share of votes for the national parties. This meant that, in extreme cases, the national party did not have any influence or input into state governance. A centralised direction for a concerted national developmental agenda therefore become almost impossible to craft and implement.
- With a number of regional parties being represented at the Centre, the clear demarcation that had so far existed between national interest and parochial state concerns started to become less marked. National developmental initiatives started to get skewed or stopped altogether by the superimposition of regional or state interests.
- The formation of the government started to become a political ‘circus’, which the people of the nation watch with alacrity and disdain. It can be stated that progress as a nation became a low priority in this scramble for power through the grabbing of ministerial berths in return for ‘support’ in the legislature.
- The 2014 voting pattern is indicative of the voter impatience with coalition politics that has delayed, and at times stopped, the implementation of national developmental policies.
- Coalition governments have failed regularly and repeatedly in the past.
- It seem to be the only answer for the failing political parties who do not see any options for their own survival.
- In a two-party competition or tighter competition would result in greater public goods spending, while in a fragmented party system, there would be greater distribution of ‘club goods’ which would involve spending for specific communities represented by smaller parties in some States. This is at the State level. So, yes, you would get redistribution, but not necessarily in the way you would ideally want it to be.
Points in favor of coalition government:
- The criticisms about coalitions not lasting their terms is not borne out by evidence
- Three Congress-led governments and one BJP led government were able to complete their full terms.
- Coalition governments are not necessarily truly democratic, but they can at least be plural in the views that they represent.
- In India, coalitions are associated with periods of greater economic growth, less economic volatility and more foreign investment.
- There is more credibility to the government’s policies, because it has a harder time making radical changes.
- Something like demonetisation would have been hard to conceive in a coalition government of somewhat equal partners or if the largest member of the coalition was truly dependent.
- Push to idea of federalism: The participation of regional parties in the Centre has significantly impacted Indian federal structure. The formation of coalition government has resulted to a large extent deviation from the characteristic of Indian federalism with centralising tendencies. With regional parties emergence the demand for state autonomy has increased drastically.
Prospect of coalition government in India:
- The voter knows the benefit of a clear majority that brings a stable government in the country. They understand and recognise what this government has delivered at the centre and they have seen the substantial improvement in the infrastructure but they also know much more needs to be done.
- Bringing back regional parties who will fight one another at the centre will be a retrograde move and every voter recognises the vulnerabilities of such selfish alliances.
- However, coalition government are still there in various states as well as center. Given then extent of diversity and pluralism in the Indian society, no one party can claim to enjoy the voter’s trust forever. So, Coalitions have come to stay in Indian political milieu.
Thus, in the end it can be said that though the coalition form of Government provides an opportunity to different to Socio-Cultural and Economic parties to participate in the Governance of the Nation, it brings about a lot of turf between the Centre and State and among ruling parties.Further, we can say that coalitions are able to act when they have to, but they make fewer big changes. For some that is frustrating and for some that is safety.
