India’s Current Political Scenario

The Central Government

The Union Progressive Alliance Government

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is the present ruling coalition of

political parties in India.
UPA was formed soon after the 2004 Lok Sabha (Lower House)
elections.

However, an informal alliance had existed prior to the elections as

several of the current constituent parties had developed seat-sharing
agreements in many states. Initially, the proposed name for the
alliance was 'Secular Progressive Alliance'.
Composition of the Current Lok Sabha (Lower
House)
This alliance is externally
Others, supported (supporters are
80 NDA, 186 not part of the government)
Left
Front, 59
by the four main leftist
parties
 Communist Party of
India (Marxist)
 Communist Party of
UPA, 218 India
 Revolutionary Socialist
Party
 All India Forward Bloc

A Common Minimum Programme (CMP) was adopted at the time of

formation of the government with the idea of consolidating the agenda
of the coalition government.

The UPA-Left Coordination Committee was formed to maintain

coordination between the Left parties and UPA.

Constituents of the UPA

• Indian National Congress (INC)
• Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)
• Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
• Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
• Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK)
• Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)
• Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)
 • Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK)
• Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJNSP)
• Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)
• Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP)
• Republican Party of India (Athvale) (RPI(A))
• Republican Party of India (Gavai) (RPI(G))
• All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimen (AIMIM)
• Kerala Congress (KC)

Opposition: National Democratic Alliance

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that led the Government of India
between 1998 and 2004, under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in
the form of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in alliance with several
other parties, now leads the opposition.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and BJP chief Lal Krishna Advani heads
the NDA as Leader of the Opposition.

Constituents of NDA
 Bhartiya Janata Party
 Janata Dal (United)
 Biju Janata Dal
 Trinamool Congress
 Shiromani Akali Dal
 Nagaland People's Front
 Mizo National Front

National Advisory Council

• The National Advisory Council is an advisory body set up to monitor
the implementation of the UPA government's manifesto, the
Common Minimum Programme(CMP)
• The leader of the Congress party, Sonia Gandhi was the chairperson
of NAC, holding the status of a cabinet minister.
• However on March 2006 Sonia Gandhi resigned from the post of
chairmanship of the NAC

Issues and Performance of the UPA government

• The Government led by Dr Manmohan Singh completed its two

years in office on May 22, 2006
• Singh had previously served as a Finance Minister under Congress
Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in the early-1990s
• Well-respected economist Dr. Singh seen has been seen as one of the
architects of India's first economic liberalization plan
• Despite stiff resistance from the supporting Left front, along with the
Finance minister P Chidambaram, Singh is taking forward the
process of liberalization and privatization
• The government has gone ahead with allowing FDI in certain vital
sectors despite the Left’s opposition.
• Allowed open retail trade to FDI in single brand category
• 10 per cent voting cap in the Banking Regulation Act
• Privatisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports
• Despite resistance from the Left, Manmohan Singh government is
taking forward Indo-US civilian nuclear deal

Issues
• Criticism over so called “two centres of power in the Government”-
one the Prime Minister and the other, Congress president Sonia
Gandhi, previously the chairperson of the National Advisory
Council.
• Congress claims Dr. Singh and Sonia Gandhi have a very good
equation
• Differences became apparent when Sonia Gandhi openly questioned
the usefulness of the Free Trade Area (FTA) agreements with various
countries and blocs
• Pressure from Alliance partners and the Left Front (supporting from
outside)
• Left parties, more often than not, have got their way in
dictating terms on major issues
• delay in taking a decision on hiking the prices of petroleum
products due to Left pressure
State Politics:
India has 28 state governments and 7 union territories. Out of these