Read the passage and answer the questions:
Era of Coalitions
Elections in 1989 led to the defeat of the Congress party but did not result in a majority for any other party. Though the Congress was the largest party in the Lok Sabha, it did not have a clear majority and therefore, it decided to sit in the opposition. The National Front (which itself was an alliance of Janata Dal and some other regional parties) received support from two diametrically opposite political groups: the BJP and the Left Front. On this basis, the National Front formed a coalition government, but the BJP and the Left Front did not join in this government.
The defeat of the Congress party marked the end of Congress dominance over the Indian party system. Thus, began an era of multi-party system. To be sure, a large number of political parties always contested elections in our country. Our Parliament always had representatives from several political parties. What happened after 1989 was the emergence of several parties in such a way that one or two parties did not get most of the votes or seats. This also meant that no single party secured a clear majority of seats in any Lok Sabha election held since 1989 till 2014. This development initiated an era of coalition governments at the Centre, in which regional parties played a crucial role in forming ruling alliances but in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP got clear majority on its own.
The nineties also saw the emergence of powerful parties and movements that represented the Dalit and backward castes (Other Backward Classes or OBCs). Many of these parties represented powerful regional assertion as well. These parties played an important role in the United Front government that came to power in 1996. The United Front was similar to the National Front of 1989 for it included Janata Dal and several regional parties. This time the BJP did not support the government. The United Front government was supported by the Congress. This shows how unstable the political equations were. In 1989, both the Left and the BJP supported the National Front Government because they wanted to keep the Congress out of power. In 1996, the Left continued to support the non-Congress government but this time the Congress, supported it, as both the Congress and the Left wanted to keep the BJP out of power.
The 2014 and 2019 elections witnessed which one of the following?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → The BJP got clear majority on its own.
No single party won a clear majority in any Lok Sabha election from 1989 till 2014, but in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections the BJP got a clear majority on its own.
Option (1) The BJP could not secure a majority in the Lok Sabha. — Incorrect. In 2014 and 2019 the BJP got a clear majority on its own.
Option (2) The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) came to power. — Incorrect. The UPA governed after the 2004 and 2009 elections, not after 2014 and 2019.
Option (3) The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government received support from the Left Front parties. — Incorrect. The Left supported the first UPA government and withdrew support in July 2008; this has nothing to do with 2014 and 2019.
NCERT (2025-26): “Decline of Congress … Thus, began an era of multi-party system. To be sure, a large number of political parties always contested elections in our country. Our Parliament always had representatives from several political parties. What happened after 1989 was the emergence of several parties in such a way that one or two parties did not get most of the votes or seats. This also meant that no single party secured a clear majority of seats in any Lok Sabha election held since 1989 till 2014. This development initiated an era of coalition governments at the Centre, in which regional parties played a crucial role in forming ruling alliances but in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP got clear majority on its own.” |