Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 08/2014

India 2014: Return of the One-Party Dominant System

Neera Chandhoke

June 2014

Istituto Affari Internazionali

Abstract

The current elections, which gave to the BJP a majority in Parliament, have brought back the one-party dominant system that was once used to describe the hegemony of the Congress party, and the lack of an opposition. The "new" one-party dominant system is however dramatically different from the original one. The BJP unlike the Congress is a cadre based party and subscribes to a distinct ideology. It is also headed by the powerful figure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose image looms larger than the party and his colleagues. India will witness a qualitatively different style of governance in the next five years.