The emerging groups of parties include those in coalition with the Congress, those in alliance with the BJP, Left Front parties, and other parties not part of these three.
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.
The unfolding political processes since the 1990s highlight the emergence of four primary groups of parties: those forming coalitions with the Congress; those aligning with the BJP; the Left Front parties; and other parties not affiliated with any of the aforementioned categories. This scenario signifies that political competition is taking on a multi-cornered nature. Implicitly, this situation also underscores a divergence in political ideologies. |
