Coalition Politics — Meaning & Forms

Coalition

An alliance of parties or groups to share power when no single party can govern alone. William Riker explains coalition as a power-sharing arrangement.

Parliamentary coalition — no party has a majority; a minority government survives on outside support (V. P. Singh, 1989). Electoral coalition — pre-poll seat-sharing to avoid splitting votes (NDA, UPA). Governmental coalition — parties share cabinet and governance, usually on a Common Minimum Programme. Variants include national governments, minority governments with outside support and power-sharing coalitions.

Coalition Politics — Evolution

Bidyut Chakrabarty argues coalitions are not new to India. The sequence runs from state coalitions in 1967, to the Janata Party at the Centre in 1977, the National Front under V. P. Singh in 1989, the United Front of thirteen non-BJP parties under H. D. Deve Gowda and I. K. Gujral in 1996, the NDA under the BJP in 1998–1999, the UPA under Congress in 2004–2014, a BJP majority within a continuing NDA in 2014–2019, and the re-emergence of coalition dependence under the BJP-led NDA in 2024.

The coalition line, 1967 to 2024. 1967 (coalition governments in states) → 1977 (Janata Party at the Centre) → 1989–96 (National Front, then United Front) → 1998–2014 (NDA, then UPA) → 2014 → 2024 (BJP majority, then allies return).

Coalition Politics — Features (India vs the West)

Indian coalitions run on cross-cutting cleavages — left–right, secular–communal, centralist–regional, caste-bloc. Parties are often less institutionalised, many catch-all and clientelist. First-Past-The-Post encourages pre-election alliances, federalism intensifies bargaining, small vote shifts produce large seat changes, and minority governments may be more attractive than broad coalitions.

Bidyut Chakrabarty draws the contrast sharply: Western coalitions are often coalition by design, Indian ones coalition by political calculations. India tends to oversized rather than minimum-winning coalitions; ideological convergence is weaker; rainbow coalitions are common; negative coalitions form to stop another party; and the core party often does not consult partners adequately.

Coalition Politics — Impact & Healthy Culture

Positive

Strengthens federalism · includes regional parties · moderates extreme positions · gives voice to smaller groups · reduces over-centralisation · encourages negotiation · makes governance more representative. Balveer Arora links it to the federalisation of the party system; Zoya Hasan sees its inclusiveness.

Negative

Policy paralysis · instability · patronage politics · short-term populism · weak collective responsibility · ministers following party leaders rather than the Prime Minister · small parties threatening withdrawal. Atul Kohli stresses instability and fragmentation, Myron Weiner governance challenges and Paul R. Brass short-term compromises.

Conditions for a healthy coalition culture

Clear coalition agreements · a common minimum programme · mutual respect · transparent power-sharing · coordination committees · conflict-resolution mechanisms · a stable Speaker’s role · consultation with partners · an ideological minimum consensus. Comparative models: Germany (detailed public coalition agreements), the Netherlands (policy and ministerial negotiations) and Sweden (long-term policy continuity).