Indian Politics
1. Nehru Dynasty 1947-1996
2. Years of Competition 1996-present
– Two Party System?
– Two Half Parties?
– Regional parties?
1. Nehru Dynasty
Jawaharlal Nehru
1947-1964
Indira Gandhi
1966-1977
1980-1984
Rajiv Gandhi
1984-1989
Congress Party
Manmohan Singh
PM
Sonja Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi
President General Secretary
of the Party(one of nine)
Congress’ Ideology
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•
•
•
Secularism
Socialist economics 1947-1991
Economic Reform 1991-present
Manifesto for 2009 elections
Congress Dominates
Election Year
Seats for Congress
Seats for Second Largest
Party
1952
364
16
1957
371
27
1962
361
29
1967
283
44
1971
352
44
1977 (lost power)
154
298 (Janata Party alliance)
1980
353
35
1984
415
30
1989 (lost power)
197
143
1991 (formed coalition)
226
120
Indira Gandhi
Congress (I)
Congress after Indira Gandhi
1984-1989
Rajiv Gandhi
1991-1996
P. V. N. Rao
2. Years of Competition
Factors
• End of Nehru Dynasty
• Economic reform
• Corruption in Congress
• Rise of regional, religious, castebased parties
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
• Hindutva (Hindu
Nationalism)
• RSS (Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh)
1984
2
1989
88
1991
120
1996
160
1998
176
1999
182
Others
• Leftist parties
– Communist Party of India (Marxist)
• Regional parties
– AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra
Kazhigam) regional party of Tamil Nadu state
– Janata Dal (Secular) (Karnataka, Kerala)
– Telugu Desam Party (Andrha Pradesh)
– Samajwadi Party (Uttar Pradesh)
• Caste-based Parties
– Bahujan Samaj Party
Why Did Congress Party Lose its
Appeal?
• Nehru Dynasty over
• Corruption
•1991 Economic Reforms
1947-1991
Socialist Economic Policy
• Nationalization
• National Planning Commission –
1950
–Five Year Plans
• “Hindu Rate of Growth” -- 3.2%
1990s Economic Crisis
Political-Military Crisis 1989-90
The Reforms
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•
•
•
•
•
Open up economy to foreign investment
Privatization
Ending government control of economy
Reduce government regulation
Export Processing Zones
Architect of reforms
– Finance Minister
Manmohan Singh
Economic Results
(from BBC News: China and India, Key Facts;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456964/html/nn3page1.stma)
Political Results
• 1996 Election
Party
1991 Seats 1996 Seats
Congress
225
136
BJP
119
160
BJP Constituency
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•
•
•
•
•
Elites who benefit from government policy
Government employees
Business protected by the government
Poor who live off government assistance
Anti-affirmative action groups
Hindu nationalists
1996 Election
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
• Congress Party
• National Front
• National Front forms government
160
136
110
1998
BJP forms government
National Democratic Alliance (15 parties)
PM A. B. Vajpayee
1998-2004
Indian nuclear tests
May 1998
1998 Election
• BJP
• Congress Party
• United Front
176
140
97
21st Century:
Congress Regroups
Sonia Gandhi
1999 Election
• BJP
• Congress Party
182
112
• BJP/NDA remains in power
2004 Election
BJP/NDA
“India Shining”
vs.
Congress/United Progressive
Alliance (UPA)
“It is a contest between the Congress…and the BJP that is
systematically undermining the very essence of Indian civilization
and destroying the very idea of India.”
2004 Election Manifesto
2004 Election
• BJP
• Congress Party
• Left Parties
138
145 (UPA 219)
56
UPA and Leftist parties form coalition
PM Manmohan Singh
2009 Election
• BJP
• Congress Party
UPA retains power
PM Manmohan Singh
116
206
Challenges and Developments
1. Two parties or Two Half Parties
2. Regional parties
3. Can Congress get beyond the
Dynasty?
1. Two parties or Two Half Parties?
272 (273) the magic number!
Stability?
Party
1991
1996
1998
1999
2004
2009
Congress
226
136
140
112
145
206
BJP
119
160
176
182
138
116
2. Regional Parties
• 2009 Lok Sabha
• 2 National parties
• 1 semi-national party (CPI-M) with seats in
four states
• 39 Regional parties
3. Congress and the Nehru Dynasty
Liberhan Commission Report
Narendra Modi
Chief Minister of Gujarat