Context of the 1990s

The single largest party in the 1996 parliamentary elections was ______

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in the year ______

Which party pursued the politics of ‘Hindutva’ and adopted the strategy of mobilizing the Hindus? 

Highlight any three issues that affected Indian politics after 1989.

Read the passage and answer the questions below:

Party politics in India has confronted numerous challenges. Not only has the Congress system destroyed itself, but the fragmentation of the Congress coalition has triggered a new emphasis on self-representation which raises questions about the party system and its capacity to accommodate diverse interest,…. An important test facing the polity is to evolve a party system or political parties that can effectively articulate and aggregate a variety of interests. —Zoya Hasan

1. Write a short note on what the author calls challenges of the party system in the light of what you have read in this chapter.
2. Given an example from this chapter of the lack of accommodation and aggregation mentioned in this passage.
3.  Why is it necessary for parties to accommodate and aggregate variety of interests?

While throwing some light on the Mandal Issue, give one reason for anti-Mandal protests in India.

Analyze three major developments towards the end of the 1980s that made a long-lasting impact on the politics of India.

Highlight any three factors that are responsible for the rise of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) as a strong political party after 1991.