CUET UG Political Science: Indian Politics - Party System, INC, BJP, Coalition Politics, Regional Parties

Must-Know

• Indian National Congress (INC) was founded in 1885 by A.O. Hume; first session held in Bombay under W.C. Bonnerjee.
• INC dominated Indian politics from independence in 1947 until the 1977 general elections, winning all Lok Sabha elections until then.
• The split in the INC occurred in 1969 over the presidential candidate issue, leading to Indira Gandhi’s faction (Congress-R) and the Syndicate (Congress-O).
• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was formed in 1980 after the disintegration of the Janata Party; Atal Bihari Vajpayee became its first president.
• BJP’s ideological roots lie in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1951), founded by Syama Prasad Mukherjee with RSS support.
• The BJP first came to power at the Centre in 1996 but lasted only 13 days; formed a stable government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998 (NDA-I).
• The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by BJP, was formed in 1998 as a coalition of non-Congress, non-left parties.
• Coalition governments at the Centre began with the National Front government (1989–1990), led by V.P. Singh and supported externally by BJP and Left.
• The United Progressive Alliance (UPA), led by Congress, was formed in 2004 after the 14th Lok Sabha elections; Manmohan Singh became Prime Minister.
• Regional parties like AIADMK, DMK, TMC, Shiv Sena, and BJD have played kingmaker roles in coalition politics since 1989.
• The era of coalition politics in India began after the 1989 general elections, ending Congress’s monopoly and single-party dominance.
• The Anti-Defection Law is enshrined in the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, inserted by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985.
• The 1996 general elections resulted in a hung parliament; Atal Bihari Vajpayee (BJP) became PM but lost a confidence motion by one vote.
• The Trinamool Congress (TMC) was founded in 1998 by Mamata Banerjee after splitting from the INC; came to power in West Bengal in 2011.
• The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was founded in 1949 by C.N. Annadurai; split from the Dravidar Kazhagam founded by Periyar.
• The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was founded in 1984 by Kanshi Ram to represent Dalits and other marginalized communities; led by Mayawati.
• The Shiv Sena, founded in 1966 by Bal Thackerjee, initially focused on Marathi pride and later allied with BJP in 1989.
• The 1971 general elections were fought on the slogan “Garibi Hatao” by Indira Gandhi’s Congress (R).
• The BJP included the abrogation of Article 370 and construction of Ram Mandir in its 1998 and 2014 election manifestos.
• The United Front government (1996–1998) was a coalition of 13 parties, led first by H.D. Deve Gowda and later by I.K. Gujral, with external support from Congress.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate — Requires understanding of party evolution, coalition dynamics, and precise dates, but facts are directly from NCERT Class XII Political Science textbook Politics in India Since Independence.

Common CUET Traps

• Trap: Believing that the BJP was the first non-Congress party to form a government at the Centre.
  Avoid: The Janata Party formed the first non-Congress government in 1977 under Morarji Desai.
• Trap: Confusing the formation year of BJP (1980) with that of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1951).
  Avoid: BJP emerged from the Jana Sangh but was formally established in 1980 after the collapse of the Janata Party.
• Trap: Assuming coalition governments began only in 1996.
  Avoid: The first coalition government was the National Front in 1989, not 1996.

Practice MCQs

1. Question: In which year was the Indian National Congress split into Congress (R) and Congress (O)?
   A. 1967
   B. 1969
   C. 1971
   D. 1977
   Answer: B
   Explanation: The split occurred in 1969 due to differences between Indira Gandhi and the Syndicate.
   Why others fail: 1971 is associated with the Garibi Hatao election, not the split.

2. Question: Which party led the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) when it was formed in 1998?
   A. Janata Dal
   B. Indian National Congress
   C. Bharatiya Janata Party
   D. Samajwadi Party
   Answer: C
   Explanation: The BJP was the leading party in the NDA coalition formed in 1998.
   Why others fail: Janata Dal led the United Front, not the NDA.

3. Question: The Anti-Defection Law is part of which Schedule of the Indian Constitution?
   A. 7th Schedule
   B. 9th Schedule
   C. 10th Schedule
   D. 12th Schedule
   Answer: C
   Explanation: The 10th Schedule was added by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985, to curb political defections.
   Why others fail: The 9th Schedule protects land reform laws, not defection.

4. Question: Who was the first Prime Minister from the BJP to complete a full term in office?
   A. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
   B. Narendra Modi
   C. L.K. Advani
   D. Murli Manohar Joshi
   Answer: A
   Explanation: Atal Bihari Vajpayee led the NDA government from 1999 to 2004, completing a full term.
   Why others fail: Narendra Modi became PM in 2014, but Vajpayee was the first BJP PM to complete a term.

5. Question: Which of the following regional parties was founded in 1998 by Mamata Banerjee?
   A. All India Trinamool Congress
   B. Shiromani Akali Dal
   C. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
   D. Rashtriya Janata Dal
   Answer: A
   Explanation: The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) was founded by Mamata Banerjee in 1998 after splitting from INC.
   Why others fail: RJD was founded by Lalu Prasad Yadav in 1997, not 1998.

Last-Minute Revision

• INC founded in 1885, not during the freedom movement’s peak.
• BJP formed in 1980, not 1951 (that’s Bharatiya Jana Sangh).
• First non-Congress government: 1977, Janata Party under Morarji Desai.
• Coalition era began in 1989, not 1996.
• 10th Schedule = Anti-Defection Law, 52nd Amendment, 1985.
• NDA formed in 1998; UPA in 2004.
• V.P. Singh led National Front government (1989–1990).
• H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral led United Front (1996–1998).
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 13-day government: 1996.
• Full-term BJP government: 1999–2004 (NDA-I).
• DMK founded in 1949 by C.N. Annadurai.
• BSP founded in 1984 by Kanshi Ram.
• Shiv Sena founded in 1966 by Bal Thackerjee.
• TMC founded in 1998 by Mamata Banerjee.
• “Garibi Hatao” slogan used in 1971 elections by Indira Gandhi.
• Ram Mandir and Article 370 were key BJP agenda points since 1998.
• UPA supported by Left parties (2004–2008) before withdrawing over Indo-US nuclear deal.
• INC split in 1969, not 1967 (1967 was election year with Congress losing states).
• A.O. Hume was the founder of INC; W.C. Bonnerjee presided first session.
• NCERT mnemonic: “BJP – 1980, Jana Sangh – 1951”-“BJP is younger, born after Emergency.”