Question

Answer the following question in brief.
What changes have been taken place in the nature of political parties in India?

Answer 1

Three major phases that have marked the changing nature of political parties in India are:

1. The single dominant party system

After independence, Congress was the single most powerful political party in the country. It had government both the center and most regional states for a long time.

2. The challenge to the Single dominant party system

In 1977, in the spirit of democracy, the non-Congress parties come together to challenge the single-party dominance. Congress lost elections at the center owing to the anti-decentralization policies of Indira Gandhi followed during the emergency years (1975-77) and various regional parties took this opportunity to mark their foothold in regional politics.

3. The Coalition Government

After the 1989 General Elections, no single party could achieve a defining major to form the government at the centre. Hence, different parties came together to form coalition governments. Contrary to popular belief, the coalition system of government has been a successful practice in India. Owing to the multiple stakeholders in the government, the decision-making process has been gradual but it is important to note that various regional concerns have found a voice at the national stage, thus strengthening the democracy.

Answer 2

1. At present, a multi-party system exists in India. However, at the time immediately after independence, the only strong party was the Congress. It had a majority at the Centre as well as in most of the states. Indian politics was controlled by the Congress Party. So this era was described as an era of a single dominant party system’.
2. This ‘Single dominant party system’ was challenged in 1977 by the nonCongress parties that had come together.
3. Eventually, after the Lok Sabha elections in 1989, the ‘Single dominant party system’ came to an end. Thereafter, several parties started coming together to form a coalition government.