A coalition government in India is a governing structure formed by multiple political parties. These parties come together to collectively hold power and form a government, typically when no single party secures an absolute majority in the parliamentary elections. The coalition government is characterized by a shared power-sharing arrangement, where political parties share executive power.
Formation of Coalition Governments in India
Coalition governments in India have been formed at various times, including:
- 1977-1979: Janata Party
- 1979-1980: Janta Party (Secular)
- 1989-1990: National Front
- 1990-1991: Janata Dal (Socialist) or Samajwadi Janata Party
- 1996-1997: United Front
- 1997-1998: United Front and BJP-led Coalition
- 1999-2004: National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
- 2004-2009: United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
- 2009-2014: United Progressive Alliance – II (UPA-II)
- 2014-2019: National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
- 2019-present: National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
Advantages and Disadvantages of Coalition Governments
Advantages of Coalition Governments
- More consensus-based politics
- Better reflection of popular opinion
- Enhanced political legitimacy and unity during national challenges
- Reduced internal political conflicts
Disadvantages of Coalition Governments
- Tendency for disharmony and fractious politics due to differing beliefs among component parties
- Compromise on individual policies
- Pragmatism over ideology
- Potential for instability if coalition collapses
Key Features of Coalition Governments
- Formed for the sake of reward, material or psychic
- At least two partners
- Temporary conjunction of specific interests
- Dynamic, with players dissolving and forming new coalitions
- Compromise and not rigid dogma
- Minimum programme that may not be ideal for each partner
- Pragmatism and not ideology
- Purpose is to seize power
Current Coalition Government in India
The current coalition government in India is the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
