Q.Analyse any two factors responsible for the change in the nature of coalition governments at the Centre after the General Elections of 2014.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →The 2014 elections marked a shift from fragmented, unstable coalitions to a dominant-party government, driven by the BJP's decisive majority and the Congress party's historic collapse.
For nearly two decades before 2014, India's political landscape was defined by coalition governments that depended on multiple regional parties to survive. No single party could command a majority in the Lok Sabha, which meant governments were constantly negotiating, accommodating diverse demands, and vulnerable to withdrawal of support. The United Progressive Alliance and the National Democratic Alliance both governed through elaborate power-sharing arrangements, with smaller parties wielding influence far beyond their seat count. The 2014 General Elections fundamentally altered this pattern, ushering in a government that, while technically a coalition, operated with unprecedented autonomy.
The BJP's Outright Majority
The most decisive factor was the Bharatiya Janata Party winning 282 seats on its own, crossing the 272-seat majority mark without needing any ally to form the government. This was the first time since 1984 that a single party had achieved such a mandate. The significance cannot be overstated: previous coalition governments existed because they had to, because arithmetic demanded it. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won over 330 seats in total, but the crucial point was that the principal party itself held the reins.
This numerical strength transformed the nature of coalition politics at the Centre. Alliance partners in the NDA—parties like the Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, and Telugu Desuma Party—found themselves in a fundamentally weaker bargaining position. They could not threaten to bring down the government, because the government did not depend on their support for survival. Policy decisions, ministerial appointments, and legislative priorities were no longer subject to the intense horse-trading that had characterized earlier coalitions. The government could afford to be more assertive, more ideologically coherent, and less prone to the paralysis that comes from managing fractious allies.
This shift meant that while the government was formally a coalition, it functioned more like a single-party government in practice. Allies were accommodated, but not appeased; consulted, but not granted veto power.
The Congress Party's Collapse
The second transformative factor was the near-total collapse of the Indian National Congress, which won only 44 seats—its worst performance in history. For decades, Indian politics had been structured around Congress as either the ruling party or the principal opposition. Even when it led coalition governments, Congress remained the anchor, the party around which alliances were built. Its organizational reach, its legacy, and its vote share made it indispensable.
The 2014 results shattered this framework. The Congress was reduced to a marginal player, unable to provide coherent opposition, let alone serve as an alternative pole around which a rival coalition could form. This vacuum had profound implications for coalition politics. Regional parties that might have aligned with Congress to counter the BJP found themselves without a credible national partner. The opposition remained fragmented, unable to coalesce into a unified front. The absence of a strong Congress meant the absence of a viable alternative coalition, which in turn gave the BJP government even greater room to maneuver. …
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