ERA OF COALITION

A coalition government refers to a form of government in which multiple political parties cooperate to form a majority, as no single party has been able to secure an absolute majority in elections. The Era of Coalition in India highlights the rise of coalition governments after the dominance of the Indian National Congress (INC) waned.

Historical Background

• Congress: A Coalition of Ideologies: Congress, as the dominant party post-independence, represented a variety of ideologies, from revolutionary to pacifist and conservative to radical. The party included people from all shades of political thought.
• Emergence of Coalition: Coalition governments in India started emerging after the 1967 elections at the provincial level, marking the end of the Nehruvian era.
• Anti-Congress Sentiments: Corruption, internal power struggles, and the erosion of party discipline led to the rise of anti-Congress sentiments during the 1967 elections.
• Fall of INC: Before 1977, the Congress Party was the only major ruling party across India. However, several events in the 1970s, such as the domination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the imposition of Emergency (1975-1977), and growing opposition, led to the decline of the Congress.
• Rise of Opposition: In the 1967 elections, opposition parties like the Akali Dal in Punjab and DMK in Tamil Nadu gained power, with 7 states having non-Congress governments.
• 1977 Elections: The Emergency and the rise of the J.P. Movement led to the collapse of the Congress government. The 1977 elections saw the Janata Party win and form the government, marking a shift in Indian politics.
• Collapse of Janata Government: The Janata Party collapsed in 1979 due to internal differences, marking the end of the first major coalition government at the national level.
• Return of Coalition Politics (1989): After a stable decade under Congress rule, coalition politics returned in the 1989 elections, with Congress losing its majority.
• End of Congress Dominance: The 1989 defeat marked the end of Congress dominance, ushering in a new phase of coalition politics where multiple regional and national parties would form alliances.
• Era of 90s: The 1990s saw the rise of movements and parties representing Dalits, backward castes, and other marginalized groups. Coalition governments became the norm, as no single party could form a government on its own.
  • Examples: National Front (1989), United Front (1996 and 1997), and NDA (1998, 1999) are examples of successful coalitions in Indian politics. The BJP-led NDA formed a stable coalition in 1999 and remained in power till 2004, with UPA taking over in 2004.
• Multi-Party System: The new evolution in the Indian political system meant that coalition politics dominated until the BJP secured an absolute majority in 2014, marking the end of a multi-decade coalition era.

Cause of Formation of Coalition Politics in India

• Anti-Congress Front: In the 1967 elections, opposition parties realized that dividing votes allowed the Congress Party to maintain power. This led to the formation of anti-Congress fronts, and Congress began losing dominance in many states.
• Decline of Congress: From the 1970s onward, Congress started declining, and it lost its ability to resolve tensions and conflicts, leading to a fragmented political environment.
• Rise of Regionalism: Regional parties began to make their mark in national politics, reducing the monopoly of national parties.
• No Single Party Majority: No single party was able to secure a working majority in the elections, necessitating coalitions.
• Diverse Preference: India’s political landscape features a huge diversity of political preferences, leading to multiple political parties representing various ideologies and regions.
• Political Opportunism: Often, political opportunism led to unlikely alliances between parties ideologically distant, in a bid to capture power.
  • Example: The coalition between Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), or the alliance between the Shiv Sena, Congress, and NCP in Maharashtra.
• Avoidance of Frequent Elections: To avoid frequent elections and the high costs associated with them, parties form coalitions to ensure stable governments.
  • Example: BJP and PDP coalition in Jammu & Kashmir.
• Broader Acceptance: Coalitions allow for broader representation in the Council of Ministers, enhancing the legitimacy of the government.

Kinds of Coalition Governments

• Communal Coalition: Formed in response to communal tensions or events, such as the coalition formed after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, where BJP, Shiv Sena, and rebel Congressmen formed a coalition in Maharashtra.
• Secular Coalition: Based on secular ideologies, involving parties like CPI, CPI(M), Congress, RJD, SP, BSP, etc. These parties come together to counter communal or religiously motivated coalitions.
• Positive Coalition: A coalition formed with constructive objectives, often to replace the existing government with a better alternative.
• Negative Coalition: Formed solely with the purpose of bringing down the existing government, without necessarily providing a better alternative. This type of coalition is often seen as destructive.
• Express Coalition: A clear, legal, and legitimate alliance with well-defined terms of cooperation and power-sharing between coalition members.
• Tacit Coalition: An implied or secret coalition where parties may cooperate without openly acknowledging their alliance. This kind of coalition has no substantial power-sharing arrangement.

Arguments in Favor of Coalition

• Representation of Minority Voices: Regional parties can express the concerns of minority groups and bring attention to specific issues at the national level.
  • Example: DMK raising Tamil issues at the Centre.
• Prevention of Monopolistic Behavior: Coalition parties act as checks and balances against each other, preventing the monopolization of power by a single party.
• Redressal of Grievances: Coalition governments allow for grievances from various groups to be heard and addressed.
• Balanced Regional Development: Coalition governments ensure regions where coalition partners belong receive fair attention and development.
• Democratic Decision-Making: Decisions in coalition governments involve input from all partners, making the process more democratic.
• Strengthens Federalism: Coalition politics strengthens India’s federal system by being more responsive to regional demands.
• Better Representation: Coalition allows smaller regions, sections, or communities to have better representation at the national level.
• Reflects People’s Opinion: In a country with diverse interests and groups, coalition politics ensures the government is more reflective of popular opinion.
• Control Despotism: The chances of despotic control are lower with coalition governments as decision-making is more dispersed and involves all coalition members.

Arguments Against Coalition

• Political Instability: Coalition governments are often unstable due to differences in opinion among coalition partners, which may lead to government collapse.
  • Example: The instability of Central governments between 1995-1999.
• Wastage of Resources: Coalition governments may create extra ministerial posts and departments to appease coalition partners, leading to resource wastage.
• Lack of Coordination: Regional parties in a coalition often prioritize their own interests, leading to conflicts and policy paralysis at the national level.
• Loss of Leadership: The Prime Minister’s leadership is undermined in coalition governments as they must consult coalition partners before major decisions.
• Undermining Role of Cabinet: Coalition partners may form a “Super-Cabinet,” undermining the central cabinet’s role in decision-making.
• Coalition Pressure: Regional parties may pressure the central executive to act in their favor, threatening to withdraw support if their demands are not met.
  • Example: The failure of the Teesta Water Sharing Agreement due to the withdrawal of support by the West Bengal CM.
• No Assumption of Responsibility: Coalition members often do not take responsibility for administrative failures and instead engage in blame games, escaping both collective and individual responsibility.
• Defection: A key issue in coalition governments is defection, where members of a political party switch allegiance to another. This has led to the collapse of several governments, especially in northern states.
  • Example: In Haryana, defecting legislators earned the phrase “Aya Ram, Gaya Ram” (incoming Ram, outgoing Ram) for their frequent switching of sides.
• Multiplicity of Parties: The Congress monopoly in various states was replaced by coalitions made up of multiple parties, making governance difficult. Coalition governments have been formed in all states except Tamil Nadu.
• Changing Loyalties of MLAs: Frequent changes in the loyalties of Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) have destabilized governments.
  • Example: Between the 1967 elections and 1970, Bihar saw seven different governments, and Uttar Pradesh had four.

Conclusion

Coalitions, though seen as a necessary evil in India due to the country’s diverse interests and regions, pose significant challenges to stable governance. Measures such as the introduction of the Tenth Schedule (which addresses defections) are required to ensure the smooth functioning of coalition governments.