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The dominance of the Indian National Congress party in the early years of post-independent India provides an interesting case study. While the Congress had inherited the legacy of the nationalist movement it can’t be seen as the only reason why this political party was able to rule the entire country for the first two decades of its independence. One of the major reasons for the success of the Congress in the early years of independence was the presence of various regional leaders which allowed it to accommodate various interests. The dominance of the Congress in the early years of independence, popularly christened the ‘Congress System’ by Rajni Kothari, has never been replicated since. Rather with the rise of various social movements the country saw the simultaneous rise of various regional leaders that brought the politics of coalition politics to the centre state of Indian politics.
The political developments of the time saw the rise of regional parties which in turn allowed them to play an important role in national politics. Hence, it was inconceivable for any political party to gain dominance at a pan Indian level. This trend was briefly threatened by the dominance of the BJP in the 2014 elections. Since 2014 the BJP has maintained a strong hold over the Lok Sabha by winning majority seats in both the 2014 and the 2019 national elections. While the BJP’s performances in the Vidhan Sabha elections has been inconsistent, with huge wins and unexpected defeats, it has maintained its vote share in most states and has managed to remain in contention. The BJP has also made significant inroads into states where it had minimal presence. This is the closest we have seen any single party come to replicate success similar to congress in the early years of independence.
The reasons for the success are quite well known, ranging from strong leadership to weak opposition. But another more important question that comes up is how the BJP can be more successful in relation to Vidhan Sabha elections. While the congress built its dominance on various regional leaders present within the party, the same approach cannot be used in the contemporary scenario. History has taught that running a government with totally divergent allies has proved to be problematic in the past as majority of its time would be spent in negotiations rather than policy making. Hence, to maintain balance between a stable political base and a functional government the BJP would need to follow a new model which takes into account the best of both systems. A system as well organised as the Congress and the advantage of mixed representation.
In this aspect the BJP’s approach in the North East becomes an important example of BJP expanding its sphere of influence by using a refreshing policy. The BJP had till recently been a minor force in the North East but since 2014 the party has been able to form alliances in various North Eastern states by accommodating and aligning with various substantial political forces. More importantly these alliances have allowed the regional partners to maintain power with both alliance partners knowing their roles. With the BJP struggling to win Vidhan Sabha elections it may look to implement the same principles it has used in Northeast at a pan Indian level.