FLUID PARTNERSHIPS: INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF COALITIONS IN MAINTAINING DEMOCRATIC STABILITY AND REPRESENTATION IN INDIA
Keywords:
coalition politics, multi-party system, bi-party system, political mobilization, caste, community, Union-level politics, regional parties, state-level governance, India.Abstract
Coalition governance has become a significant aspect of Indian politics, and this paper explores the challenges and types of coalitions that Indian political parties face. It suggests that coalitions are critical for democracy's formation and essential for India's transition from a multi-party to a bi-party system. The article examines the historical significance of caste and community roles in political mobilization, tracing its post-independence years to the recent decade, as well as the fluctuations of power between the Congress Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the emergence of regional parties, which have come to dominate Union-level politics. The paper concludes with the current challenges and tensions in Indian politics, concerning state-level governance and the Union's capacity to meddle in regional affairs
