Party System in India (OISI)

Description

At the time of India’s independence in 1947, doubts were raised about its survival as a democracy due to widespread poverty and illiteracy, and the presence of a highly ethnically and linguistically diverse population. However, India has survived as a functioning democracy with a vibrant party system, and successfully held 16 parliamentary and over 350 state assembly elections so far, to elect its governments at the centre and in the states, respectively.
This short introduction provides an analysis of the Indian party system through its various phases—from the dominance of the Congress party, to the emergence of regional parties and coalition politics, and more recently, a move towards a BJP-centred party system. It argues that the Indian party system continues to be shaped by a complex interaction of sociological, institutional, and contextual factors. Outlining the key challenges facing Indian parties, the book argues that a competitive party system plays a crucial role in the functioning and sustenance of Indian democracy, and that the parties remain the most important link between the state and its citizens.

About the Author

Rekha Diwakar is lecturer in politics at the University of Sussex, UK, and research associate at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

Reviews

‘This short book is an excellent and comprehensive account of the evolution of Indian political parties and the party system as well as of coalition politics in India. It is situated in theory and the comparative politics literature and packed with data. Most highly recommended.’
—E. Sridharan, Academic Director and Chief Executive, University of Pennsylvania Institute for the Advanced Study of India, New Delhi

‘This is a marvellously concise yet comprehensive book demonstrating deep understanding of the Indian party system and utilizing the modern tools of political science by which to analyse it: a triumph for its author.’
—Keith Dowding, Professor of Political Science, Australian National University

Table of contents

List of Tables and Figures
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations

Introduction
1. Parties and Party System in India
2. The Congress ‘System’ and Its Decline
3. Hindu Nationalism and Rise of the BJP
4. Fragmentation of the Party System and Coalition Politics
5. Emerging Trends in the Indian Party System
Conclusion

References
Index
About the Author