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Coalition Politics Since 1989 Class 12 Political Science

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Political ScienceCBSE Class 12 · Recent Developments in Indian Politics

Coalition Politics Since 1989: From the National Front to NDA V (Class 12 Political Science)

Updated 16 October 2026 · Fact-checked

The 1989 election cut the Congress from 415 seats to 197 and began an era of coalitions: the National Front, the United Front, the NDA and the UPA. No party won a majority until 2014. The BJP won 282 seats in 2014 and 303 in 2019, and 240 in 2024, when it governed with NDA partners.

Congress fell from 415 to 197 in 1989; no party crossed 272 until 2014, and in 2024 the BJP's 240 fell short again, so NDA partners mattered.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Coalition Politics Since 1989

Why this topic matters. Chapter 8 carries 8 of the 80 theory marks, the most in Part B, and coalition politics is its most asked section: why coalitions arose, how they worked, and how the picture changed after 2014. NCERT sections: 'Context of the 1990s', 'Era of Coalitions', 'Alliance politics', 'Lok Sabha Elections (2004-2019)' and 'Growing consensus', plus the 2026-27 syllabus note on NDA III, IV and V.

1. 1989: the end of the Congress system.

  • In 1984 the Congress won 415 Lok Sabha seats; in the election of 1989 it fell to 197. NCERT says 1989 marked the end of the 'Congress system': the Congress stayed an important party and ruled more than any other, but lost the central place it once held. No other single party took its place, and a multi-party system began.
  • From 1989 to 2014 no single party won a clear majority in any Lok Sabha election, and regional parties played a crucial role in forming ruling alliances.

2. Governments of the coalition era.

GovernmentSupport pattern
National Front (1989)An alliance of the Janata Dal and regional parties; supported from outside by two opposite groups, the BJP and the Left Front, who did not join it; both wanted to keep the Congress out of power
United Front (1996, 1997)Janata Dal and regional parties; the BJP did not support; supported by the Congress, with the Left continuing its support; both wanted to keep the BJP out
BJP-led coalition (1996 to 1999)In 1996 the BJP, the largest party, was invited to form the government but could not secure a majority; it led a coalition from May 1998 to June 1999 and was re-elected in October 1999; Atal Behari Vajpayee was Prime Minister both times, and the 1999 government completed its full term
UPA (2004, 2009)In 2004 the Congress too entered coalitions 'in a big way', the NDA was defeated and the UPA formed with the Left Front's support; the difference in votes between the two alliances was negligible. The Left withdrew support in July 2008 over the Indo-US nuclear deal, but the government completed its term; the Congress rose from 145 seats in 2004 to 206 in 2009 and Dr Manmohan Singh became Prime Minister again

NCERT counts eleven governments since 1989, all coalition or minority governments supported by others. It links this to the Congress itself having been a 'coalition' of interests: the era of coalitions is a long-term trend from relatively silent changes.

3. 2014 onwards (NCERT and syllabus note).

  • The BJP declared Narendra Modi its Prime Ministerial candidate in September 2013. In 2014 it won 282 seats on its own, the first single-party majority in 30 years, yet it formed an NDA government with its partners. The syllabus note calls it NDA III, and a 'surplus majority coalition': a shift from a one-party-led coalition to a one-party-dominated one.
  • 2019 (NDA IV): the BJP won 303 seats; the NDA more than 350 of 543. Some social scientists describe this as a 'BJP System', similar to the earlier 'Congress System' of one-party dominance.
  • 2024 (NDA V, syllabus note): in the elections to the 18th Lok Sabha the BJP won 240 of the 543 seats and formed the government with support from its partners. The syllabus note puts the NDA at 294 seats and the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance at 232; quote these alliance totals as the syllabus gives them.
  • Writing about 2014 and 2019, NCERT says that even when the BJP gets a full majority, the recognition of coalition politics is still relevant.

4. Growing consensus. Despite competition most parties broadly agree on: (1) new economic policies; (2) acceptance of the political and social claims of the backward castes (reservation); (3) acceptance of the role of State-level parties in governing the country; and (4) pragmatic considerations rather than ideology, with alliances without ideological agreement. For example most NDA partners did not share the BJP's Hindutva ideology yet formed a government that served a full term.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

  • a long phase of coalition politics began in India

    NCERT, Politics in India since Independence, Chapter 8 (sense of the text on 1989): The consequence of the 1989 election.

    The one-line description of the era.

  • surplus majority coalition

    2026-27 CBSE syllabus note on NDA III: Describing the 2014 coalition in which the BJP had an absolute majority of its own.

    The syllabus term for the changed nature of coalitions.

Coalition Politics Since 1989: key facts

Congress numbers
1984415 seats
1989197 seats
2004145
2009206
201444
201952
From NCERT table.
BJP numbers
2004138
2009116
2014282
2019303
2024240 (NDA 294)
2024 from the syllabus note.
Support patterns
1989NF: BJP and Left from outside, to keep Congress out
1996UF: Congress and Left, to keep BJP out
2004UPA: Left support, withdrawn July 2008
Mirror images.
Four elements of consensus
  • New economic policies
  • Backward castes' claims
  • Role of State-level parties
  • Pragmatism over ideology
Exam favourite.

How to answer Coalition Politics Since 1989 questions

Coalition answers need a cause, a pattern and an example. State who supported whom and why, with dates.

  1. 1Start with 1989: Congress from 415 to 197 and no party replacing it.
  2. 2Name the governments in order: National Front, United Front, BJP-led coalition, NDA, UPA.
  3. 3For each, say who supported it from outside or inside and why.
  4. 4Move to 2014: 282 seats, still an NDA government; add 2019 and 2024 from the syllabus note.
  5. 5Close with the consensus: economic policies, backward castes, State parties, pragmatism.
  6. 6Write about parties factually and neutrally; give the book's figures.

Coalition Politics Since 1989 in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Close votes, different outcomes

Two alliances in a school election end with almost the same number of votes. One alliance forms the council because it has brought more groups on board and wins the support of a group that stays outside the council.

Which Lok Sabha election does this resemble, and how was the government formed? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. A near-equal vote between two alliances resembles 2004, when the difference between the votes of the Congress and its allies and the BJP and its allies was negligible.
  2. The Congress had entered into coalitions in a big way.
  3. The UPA government came to power with the support of the Left Front parties.

Answer: It resembles the 2004 election. The Congress entered into coalitions in a big way, the NDA was defeated and the United Progressive Alliance led by the Congress came to power with the support of the Left Front parties, although the difference between the votes polled by the Congress and its allies and the BJP and its allies was negligible.

Memory hook: Same votes, more partners.

Naming a period after a dominant party

One team wins the inter-school league by huge margins in successive seasons. Commentators begin to call the period by the team's name, as they once did for another team that dominated the league for many years.

Which description of the party system after 2019 does this resemble, according to the syllabus note, and with which earlier system is it compared? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. After the 2019 result the syllabus note says some social scientists began to describe the party system as a "BJP System".
  2. They compare it with the "Congress System" of the early decades.
  3. Both terms describe an era of one-party dominance.

Answer: It resembles the description of the party system after 2019 as a "BJP System", which the syllabus note attributes to some social scientists. They compare it with the earlier "Congress System", since both describe an era of one-party dominance in India's democratic politics.

Memory hook: A system named after its strongest player.

Tricks to remember Coalition Politics Since 1989

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • 415 to 197

    Congress 415 (1984), then 197 (1989): the end of the Congress system.

    Use it when: Context of the 1990s.

  • N-U-B-N-U

    National Front, United Front, BJP-led (1998), NDA (1999), UPA (2004, 2009).

    Use it when: Order of coalition governments.

  • 282-303-240

    BJP 2014 282, 2019 303, 2024 240.

    Use it when: Single-party seats.

Coalition Politics Since 1989: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: The Congress in 2004 and 2009 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

According to NCERT, the seats of the Congress changed between 2004 and 2009 from:
(a) 114 to 145
(b) 145 to 206
(c) 138 to 116
(d) 206 to 44

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. NCERT: the number of seats of the Congress rose from 145 in 2004 to 206 in 2009 (1 mark).

Answer: (b) 145 to 206

Example 2: The two largest parties together · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

What does NCERT point out about the votes polled together by the Congress and the BJP since 1989, and what does it suggest about political competition? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The fact from NCERT (1 mark).
  2. What it suggests (1 mark).

Answer: NCERT notes that since the 1989 election the votes polled by the Congress and the BJP together have, most of the time, added up to more than fifty per cent, except in 1996, 2004 and 2009. It suggests that these two parties have remained the main poles of competition, around which the coalitions led by the BJP and by the Congress were formed.

Example 3: Assertion and reason: the UPA's first term · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): The Congress-led UPA government formed in 2004 completed its term.
Reason (R): The Left parties withdrew their support in July 2008 on the issue of the Indo-US nuclear deal.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Both statements are in NCERT (0.5 mark).
  2. NCERT says the government completed its term despite the withdrawal, so R does not explain A (0.5 mark).

Answer: (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Example 4: The 2024 verdict and coalition politics · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

According to the 2026-27 syllabus note, the BJP won 240 of 543 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Explain what this result and the formation of the government show about coalition politics. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The seat figures (1 mark).
  2. The government formation (1 mark).
  3. Comparison with 2014 and 2019 (1 mark).
  4. Meaning for coalition politics (1 mark).

Answer: In the 18th Lok Sabha elections of 2024 the BJP emerged again as the strongest party, but with 240 of the 543 seats, which is short of a majority on its own. The NDA government (the syllabus calls it NDA V) was formed with the BJP taking support from its partners, who together took the alliance to 294 seats, while the opposition alliance won 232. In 2014 and 2019 the BJP had won 282 and 303 seats on its own, a single-party majority, though it still formed NDA governments; in 2024 it needed its partners for a majority. This shows that coalition politics remains relevant: NCERT says that even when a party gets a full majority the recognition of coalition politics is still relevant, and in 2024 the numbers made partners essential.

Example 5: Source-based: a table of seats · 4 marks · Source-basedHarder board level

Read the data (from an NCERT table of party positions in the Lok Sabha) and choose the most appropriate answer for each question.

Party: 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019
Indian National Congress: 145, 206, 44, 52
Bharatiya Janata Party: 138, 116, 282, 303
Communist Party of India (Marxist): 43, 16, 9, 3
Bahujan Samaj Party: 19, 21, no seat, 10
Total seats in the Lok Sabha: 543, 543, 543, 543

(i) How many seats did the Congress win in 2009?
(A) 145 (B) 206 (C) 138 (D) 116
(ii) Which party's seats fell in every election shown?
(A) Bahujan Samaj Party (B) Communist Party of India (Marxist) (C) BJP (D) Congress
(iii) In 2014, the Congress and the BJP together won:
(A) 282 (B) 303 (C) 326 (D) 355
(iv) In which year shown did the BJP cross half of the 543 seats on its own?
(A) 2004 (B) 2009 (C) 2014 (D) none of the years

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. (i) (B) 206 (1 mark).
  2. (ii) (B) CPI(M): 43, 16, 9, 3 (1 mark).
  3. (iii) (C) 44 + 282 = 326 (1 mark).
  4. (iv) (C) 2014: 282 is more than 272 (1 mark).

Answer: (i) (B) 206; (ii) (B) Communist Party of India (Marxist); (iii) (C) 326; (iv) (C) 2014.

Example 6: Long answer: two sides of the same logic · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Compare the logic behind the support given to the National Front in 1989 and the United Front in 1996, and explain what they show about the partners in coalitions of this era. (6 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. 1989 pattern (1.5 marks).
  2. 1996 pattern (1.5 marks).
  3. The common logic (1.5 marks).
  4. What it shows (1.5 marks).

Answer: In 1989 the Congress had fallen from 415 to 197 seats but was not in a position to form a government and decided to sit in the opposition. The National Front, an alliance of the Janata Dal and some regional parties, formed a coalition government with outside support from two diametrically opposite political groups, the BJP and the Left Front, neither of which joined the government. Both supported it because they wanted to keep the Congress out of power.

In 1996 the United Front, similar to the National Front, included the Janata Dal and several regional parties, with parties representing Dalit and backward-caste assertion and regional pride. This time the BJP did not support it; the Left continued its support, and the Congress supported it as well, because both the Congress and the Left wanted to keep the BJP out of power. The BJP had emerged as the largest party in 1996 but could not secure a majority.

The common logic was negative: parties joined or supported governments to keep a particular party out. The supporters were often ideologically incongruent; the same Left that supported the National Front alongside the BJP in 1989 supported the United Front with the Congress in 1996. This shows that in the coalition era alliances were shaped by pragmatic considerations and by the aim of power-sharing more than by common ideology, and that political equations were unstable: parties that were allies in one election could be on opposite sides in the next.

Where students lose marks in Coalition Politics Since 1989

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Giving the wrong supporters for 1989 and 1996

    The two patterns are mirror images.

    Wrong working

    In 1996 the BJP and the Left supported the United Front.

    Right working

    1989: BJP and Left supported the National Front; 1996: Congress and Left supported the United Front, and the BJP did not.

    Do this: Write year, government, supporters, aim.

    Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

  • Mistake: Saying 2014 ended coalitions

    The NDA government of 2014 had partners.

    Wrong working

    After 2014 coalition politics ended.

    Right working

    The BJP won 282 seats alone but formed an NDA government with partners; NCERT says the recognition of coalition politics is still relevant.

    Do this: Use the phrase "surplus majority coalition".

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Mixing 303 and 240

    Both are BJP figures.

    Wrong working

    The BJP won 303 seats in 2024.

    Right working

    303 in 2019; 240 in 2024 (NDA 294).

    Do this: Attach the year to each figure.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Treating the four elements of consensus as laws

    They are broad agreements, not rules.

    Wrong working

    All parties agree on everything.

    Right working

    Broad agreement on economic policies, backward castes' claims, State parties' role and pragmatism, amid competition.

    Do this: Use "broad agreement".

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

  • Asked in: 2023 board paper 59/1/1 Q18 (2 marks, first coalition government and why); 2024 board paper 59/3/1 Q22(a) (4 marks, how coalitions proved a boon for democracy); 2024 59/2/3 Q18 (2 marks, weaknesses of coalitions of 1989-1999); 2023 59/4/1 Q27(a) (6 marks, developments in NDA III and IV); 2026 board paper 59/1/1 Q30(a) (6 marks, factors for the rise of coalition governments). Answers here are our own.
  • Memorise the 1989 and 1996 patterns as mirror images.
  • Always carry two figures: 415 to 197, and 282 or 303 or 240.
  • Name the syllabus term "surplus majority coalition" for 2014.
  • Keep wording neutral and attribute descriptions such as "BJP System" to the social scientists who use it.

Practice questions on Coalition Politics Since 1989

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

    According to the 2026-27 syllabus note, how many of the 543 Lok Sabha seats did the BJP win on its own in 2024?
    (a) 232
    (b) 240
    (c) 282
    (d) 303

    Hint

    Short of 272.

    Answer

    (b) 240. It formed the NDA government with support from its partners; 282 and 303 were its 2014 and 2019 figures.

  2. Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

    NCERT says the era of coalitions has a link to the Congress system itself. Explain the link in two sentences. (2 marks)

    Hint

    Congress as a coalition; silent changes.

    Answer

    In the earlier period the Congress party itself was a coalition of different interests and social strata, which gave rise to the term Congress system. Over decades various sections left the Congress and formed their own parties, and these long-term, relatively silent changes eventually produced the era of coalition governments at the Centre.

  3. Q3 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level

    Explain what NCERT means when it says there have been eleven governments at the Centre since 1989 which were either coalition governments or minority governments supported by others. (2 marks)

    Hint

    Participation or outside support.

    Answer

    It means that in this phase no government was formed by a single party with a majority of its own: each was either a coalition of several parties, such as the NDA or UPA, or a minority government that survived because other parties supported it from outside without joining it, such as the National Front of 1989. Any government could be formed only with the participation or support of many regional parties.

  4. Q4 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

    Assertion (A): The 2026-27 syllabus note describes the NDA coalition formed in 2014 as a "surplus majority coalition".
    Reason (R): In 2014 the BJP had an absolute majority of its own in the Lok Sabha, yet it governed together with its coalition partners.
    (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    (c) A is true but R is false.
    (d) A is false but R is true.

    Hint

    Surplus means more than needed.

    Answer

    (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A: the note calls the coalition "surplus" because the leading party already had a majority of its own, so the partners were more than needed for a majority.

  5. Q5 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Describe how the BJP in 1996-1999 and the Congress in 2004 each adapted to coalition politics. (4 marks)

    Hint

    Largest party without a majority; coalition in a big way.

    Answer

    In 1996 the BJP emerged as the largest party and was invited to form the government, but could not secure a majority because most other parties opposed its policies. It adapted by leading a coalition, which came to power in May 1998 and lasted till June 1999; it was re-elected in October 1999 and the government completed its full term, with Atal Behari Vajpayee as Prime Minister. The Congress, in the elections of 2004, entered into coalitions in a big way; the NDA was defeated and a new coalition government led by the Congress, the United Progressive Alliance, came to power with the support of the Left Front parties. The difference in votes between the Congress and allies and the BJP and allies was negligible, which shows how close the contest was.

  6. Q6 · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    A voter says: "A coalition government cannot take bold and imaginative decisions." Evaluate this using the experience of governments since 1989. (4 marks)

    Hint

    Compromise; governments completing terms; policy consensus.

    Answer

    There is some truth in it, since coalitions require compromises and many early coalitions, such as the National Front and the United Front, were unstable, with partners who were ideologically incongruent. But the experience also shows that coalitions could govern and take decisions: the NDA government formed in 1999 completed its full term, and the UPA completed its term even after the Left withdrew support in 2008 over the nuclear deal. Moreover, a consensus emerged among most parties on the new economic policies, so major policy directions were followed by both coalitions and single-party governments. Thus the quality of decisions depended more on the stability and cooperation of partners than on the form of government; a weak coalition may hesitate, while a stable one can act.

  7. Q7 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    Examine the electoral fortunes of the Congress and the BJP from 1984 to 2024, using the figures in NCERT and the syllabus note, and say what they show about the Indian party system. (6 marks)

    Hint

    415, 197; 145, 206, 44, 52; 138, 116, 282, 303; 240.

    Answer

    In 1984 the Congress won 415 seats; in 1989 it was reduced to 197, which ended the Congress system, though it remained an important party and came back to power in 1991. In 2004 it won 145 seats and led the UPA; in 2009 its seats rose to 206. In 2014 it fell to 44 and in 2019 it won 52.

    The BJP won 138 seats in 2004 and 116 in 2009. In 2014, under Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate, it won 282 seats on its own, the first single-party majority in 30 years, and 303 in 2019. In 2024, according to the syllabus note, it won 240 of the 543 seats and formed the government with support from its partners, who took the NDA to 294 seats, against 232 for the opposition alliance.

    These figures show three things. First, one-party dominance ended in 1989 and a multi-party system with coalition governments followed. Second, the two largest parties have been the main competitors, but neither has been dominant at all times; from 2014 to 2019 one party won a majority on its own. Third, even then coalition politics did not vanish: the BJP formed NDA governments with its partners in 2014 and 2019 and relied on them for a majority in 2024. NCERT says the party system has changed almost dramatically from what it was until the seventies.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.How many seats did the Congress win in 2014?Show answer

    44.

  2. 2.Which party was invited to form the government in 1996 as the largest party?Show answer

    The BJP, which could not secure a majority in the Lok Sabha.

  3. 3.Who became Prime Minister for a second term after the 2009 election?Show answer

    Dr Manmohan Singh, heading the UPA again.

  4. 4.How many seats did the CPI(M) win in 2019?Show answer

    3.

  5. 5.Which Lok Sabha was elected in 2009?Show answer

    The 15th Lok Sabha.

  6. 6.What is the total number of Lok Sabha seats counted in the NCERT table?Show answer

    543 (530 from States and 13 from Union Territories).

Coalition Politics Since 1989: frequently asked questions

What does "outside support" to a government mean?

The supporting parties back the government in the Lok Sabha without joining it, as the BJP and the Left Front did with the National Front in 1989.

Why is the 1989 pattern called two diametrically opposite groups?

Because the BJP and the Left Front supported the National Front from outside though their positions are opposite; their shared aim was to keep the Congress out.

Is 2024 in the syllabus?

Yes. The 2026-27 syllabus note on NDA III, IV and V gives the 2024 figures for the 18th Lok Sabha.

What does the term "BJP System" refer to?

The syllabus note says some social scientists use it to describe a party system with one-party dominance, like the earlier Congress System.