CORE Key Points at a Glance

  1. 1

    Multi-Party System — India's Structure

    • No single party wins a parliamentary majority in most elections since 1989
    • ECI (2025) recognises 6 National Parties, 57 State Parties, and 2,000+ registered unrecognised parties
    • Total registered parties: ~2,800+
  2. 2

    Party System Evolution — Four Phases

    • One-party dominance (1952–1967): Congress era — "Congress System" (Rajni Kothari)
    • Congress decline (1967–1989): Coalition at state level; Emergency; Janata experiment
    • Coalition era (1989–2014): National Front, UF, NDA-I, UPA-I & II — no single-party LS majority for 25 years
    • Return to dominance (2014–present): BJP-led NDA with large mandates; regional variation persists; 2024 saw partial coalition return
  3. 3

    Regionalism — Definition and Types

    • Assertion of interests, identity, and autonomy of a specific region vs. central authority
    • Positive regionalism: regional development demands, cultural pride
    • Negative regionalism: secessionism, anti-migrant agitation
    • India manages it through federalism, Article 3 (new States), and scheduled area provisions
  4. 4

    Regional Parties — Redefining Indian Politics

    • Key parties: DMK (1949), TDP (1982), TMC (1998), AAP (2012), BRSP
    • These reflect the emergence of sub-national political identities
    • Regional parties held the balance of power in coalition governments 1989–2014
  5. 5

    Coalition Politics — Two Main Types

    • Pre-poll alliances: Parties announce before elections — e.g., BJP-led NDA, Congress-led INDIA Alliance 2024
    • Post-poll coalitions: Parties join after results — e.g., 1996–2004 UF governments
    • Coalition dharma requires: policy compromise, power sharing, and coordination committees
  6. 6

    National Party Recognition Criteria (ECI)

    • Win 2% of total Lok Sabha seats from at least 3 different states, OR
    • Win at least 6% vote share in 4+ states in LS elections AND win 4 seats, OR
    • Recognised as State Party in 4+ states
    • National party symbol is reserved exclusively for that party nationwide
  7. 7

    Causes of Regionalism in India

    • Linguistic demands: Andhra Pradesh 1953, Telangana 2014
    • Economic disparities: Backward regions demanding separate statehood — Bodoland, Vidarbha, Purvanchal
    • Cultural identity assertion: Tamil Nadu's Dravidian pride, Northeast tribal identities
    • Centre-state policy grievances: Resource sharing, special category status, financial devolution
  8. 8

    Major Coalition Governments and Their Achievements

    • NDA-I (1999–2004): Vajpayee; 24 alliance partners — widest coalition in Indian history
    • UPA-I (2004–2009): Congress-led; 10+ partners including DMK, NCP, TMC; Left outside support 2004–08
    • UPA-II (2009–2014): Congress alone 206 seats; TMC split 2012
    • Products of coalition era: RTI (2005), NREGS (2005), RTE (2009)
  9. 9

    Anti-Defection Law — Tenth Schedule (1985)

    • Added by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment to prevent floor-crossing instability
    • Disqualifies a legislator who voluntarily gives up party membership or votes against party direction without prior permission
    • Merger exemption: if 2/3rd of party's legislators support merger
    • Deciding authority: Speaker/Chairman (criticised as partisan)
  10. 10

    Bipartisan Tendency in Rajasthan

    • BJP and Congress have alternated in power every five years since 1993
    • Pattern: Congress 1998–2003 → BJP 2003–08 → Congress 2008–13 → BJP 2013–18 → Congress 2018–23 → BJP 2023–present
    • 2023 elections saw entry of Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) as a third force
  11. 11

    INDIA Alliance (2024)

    • Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance — 26-party opposition coalition formed June 2023 against BJP-NDA
    • Won 234 seats in 2024 LS elections (NDA: 293, Others: 16)
    • Coalition politics remains central to India's federal democracy
  12. 12

    Party System Classification — Sartori's Typology

    • 1952–1967: Predominant party system (Sartori's term for Congress dominance)
    • Post-1967: Shifted toward polarised pluralism with strong ideological poles and fragmented centre
    • Contemporary India: approximates moderate pluralism — BJP dominance at national level with strong regional party presence

PREDICTED Predicted RAS Questions

Based on PYQ trends and 2026 syllabus analysis

1 5M What do you understand by the Congress System? Who propounded it? 5 marks · 50 words

Model Answer

The Congress System was conceptualised by political scientist Rajni Kothari to describe India's 1952–1967 polity where the Indian National Congress functioned as a dominant "party of consensus" — accommodating diverse ideological groups internally. Other parties (Socialists, Communists, Swatantra, Jan Sangh) acted as "parties of pressure," competing within a Congress-dominated framework. This system ended in 1967 when Congress lost power in eight states, beginning India's shift toward competitive multi-party politics.

~50 words • 5 marks

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