The defeat of the Congress party marked the end of Congress's dominance over the Indian party system. Way back in the late sixties, the dominance of the Congress party was challenged; but the Congress under the leadership of Indira Gandhi managed to re-establish its predominant position in politics. The nineties saw yet another challenge to the predominant position of Congress. It did not, however, mean the emergence of any other single party to fill in its place.

In which of the following year did the first UPA government come into power?

2004

The first UPA government come into power in 2004. It was led by Congress.

During the 2004 elections, the Congress party embraced coalitions to a considerable extent. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) faced defeat, leading to the rise of a fresh coalition government, spearheaded by the Congress and referred to as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). This administration garnered support from the Left Front parties. The elections of 2004 also marked a partial resurgence of the Congress party, as it succeeded in augmenting its seats for the first time since 1991. However, the 2004 elections witnessed a marginal disparity between the votes secured by the Congress and its allies, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies. Consequently, the party system underwent a notable transformation from its earlier configuration, predominantly up until the seventies.