(Nikhil Taunk’s essay is among the Top 10 of the My Report Debate. Participants were asked the question: Who do you think should lead India – a single party or a coalition?)
India follows a representative democracy. Who then represents India better? It is a government that maximises the representation of all social groups and promotes consensus amongst them. The experiences from four coalition governments and one single-party government, spanning two decades, show that coalitions assure that representation. A historical look of coalitions and then a discussion of their benefits will help us understand how.
Since the 90s, Indians have increasingly elected regional parties and parties committed to aspirations of specific social groups, as their medium for representation.
Following the trend towards alliances despite their inherent disadvantages, the coalition governments of Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998-1999 and 1999-2004) and Manmohan Singh (2004-09 and 2009-14) succeeded in providing governance and direction to India.
They not only overcame national challenges like the Kargil War and the 2008 financial crisis but also invested in social and technological developments.
The Narendra Modi government (2014-2019), although an alliance, has functioned as a single-party government due to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s absolute majority. Its excesses have revealed what an absolute majority can lead to. Moreover, it has often deprived the Rajya Sabha, which represents the states, from deliberating on crucial bills.
In contrast to single-party governments, the coalitions were experiments that worked well. Governance was delivered under competent leaders, and they revealed benefits which Indians wouldn't have believed to be possible.
1. Keeping the tradition of debate and consensus alive – Coalition governments in a sense become a Lok Sabha inside the Lok Sabha. When a party tries to undermine a debate, other coalition partners in the government sustain the debate. They also bring diverse viewpoints and keep in check unilateral positions.
2. More leaders with experience to contribute to governance – Our political spectrum has several leaders who possess rich experience of parliamentary democracy. Their potential often gets wasted on Opposition benches. A coalition brings in their knowledge and wisdom for the collective good of the nation.
3. Maximising representation – Theoretically 545 Lok Sabha seats for 1.3 billion averages to one MP representing 24 lakh Indians. In reality, due to our first-past-the-post system, a large number of MPs enter Lok Sabha without espousing the aspirations of a significant percentage of the electorate, leaving them disillusioned. Coalitions help offset this drawback.
The few MPs representing such disillusioned groups who get elected acquire a voice by entering into the coalition.
4. Proportional participation – Regional and small parties, when part of the government, in accordance with their MP count get a more proportional representation of the people's mandate. Citizens who have voted for such parties feel empowered with a sense of participation.
5. Avoiding the isolation of Rajya Sabha – As more regional parties dominate the states, Rajya Sabha will increasingly pose challenges for single-party governments predisposed to pushing their positions. A coalition government having regional parties facilitates debates in the Rajya Sabha. Representation is the key to maintaining the democratic nature of India. In the present circumstances, a coalition government is that key.
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