Question

• This chapter covers the major developments in Indian politics until the 2004 Elections (14th Lok Sabha). Subsequently, the Lok Sabha elections were held in 2009, during which the UPA led by the Congress won. In the 2014 and 2019 Elections, the NDA led by the BJP emerged victorious. The position of various parties in the 17th Lok Sabha is given on page 155.
• A detailed study of Members of the 17th Lok Sabha is available on the website of the Lok Sabha (http://loksabha.nic.in).
• Compare and contrast the electoral performances of various political parties since 2004. The table given below can be used for this. You can also collect the data about the results from the website of the Election Commission of India (http://eci.nic.in).
• Prepare a timeline of the major political events in India since 2004. Share and discuss it in your classroom.

Party Positions in Indian Parliament since 2004

	Party	2004	2009	2014	2019
1	Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)	-	-	4	1
2	All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)	0	9	37	1
3	Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)	19	21	-	10
4	Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)	138	116	282	303
5	Biju Janata Dal (BJD)	11	14	20	12
6	Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M)	43	16	9	3
7	Communist Party of India (CPI)	10	4	1	2
8	Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)	16	18	-	24
9	Indian National Congress(INC)	145	206	44	52
10	Janata Dal - United (JD -U)	8	20	2	16
11	Janata Dal -Secular (JD - S)	3	3	2	1
12	Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJSP)	4	-	6	6
13	Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)	9	9	6	5
14	Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)	24	4	4	-
15	Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD)	3	5	1	-
16	Samajwadi Party (SP)	36	23	5	5
17	Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)	8	4	4	2
18	Shiv Sena (SS)	12	11	18	18
19	Others	54	60	98	82
	Total	543	543	543	543

Total Seats in Indian Parliament : 543 (530 from States and 13 from UTs)

Answer 1

Comparing and Contrasting Electoral Performances (2004–2024)

The electoral landscape of India underwent a monumental shift from fragmented coalitions to single-party dominance, and eventually back to a balanced, competitive coalition model.

Election Year	INC (Congress)	BJP	Major Ruling Alliance	Total Lok Sabha Seats
2004	145	138	UPA (United Progressive Alliance)	543
2009	206	116	UPA (United Progressive Alliance)	543
2014	44	282	NDA (First single-party majority for BJP)	543
2019	52	303	NDA (BJP consolidated power further)	543
2024	99	240	NDA (Coalition dependent governance)	543

Key Comparisons & Analytical Trends

1. The UPA Era (2004-2014): In 2004, the Congress defied expectations by defeating the "India Shining" campaign of the NDA. It leaned heavily on outside support (including Left parties). By 2009, the Congress enhanced its own performance to 206 seats, cementing the logic that coalition arrangements were stable frameworks for managing regional interests.
2. The NDA & Single-Party Hegemony (2014-2019): The 2014 election completely shattered the 25-year-long pattern of weak national center-coalitions. Riding on an anti-incumbency wave and leadership projection, the BJP attained an absolute majority of 282 seats on its own, reducing Congress to its lowest-ever tally of 44. In 2019, the BJP advanced further to 303 seats, demonstrating total ideological and organizational domination over the national landscape.
3. The Return of Co-dependence (2024): The 2024 General Election introduced a structural correction to single-party dominance. While the BJP remained the single-largest entity with 240 seats, it fell short of the 272 majority mark. Simultaneously, Congress revived significantly to 99 seats. Power shifted back to alliance building, making the ruling NDA government directly reliant on key regional heavyweights.

Timeline of Major Political Events in India (2004-2026)

1. May 2009: The UPA-2 government secures a second consecutive mandate with an increased seat share for the Congress.
2. 2011–2013: Mass civic discontent peaks with the Anti-Corruption Movement (India Against Corruption), structurally altering the political paradigm and laying the foundation for the rise of new regional players.
3. May 2014: A historic political shift takes place as the NDA-1 government under Narendra Modi sweeps to power with a single-party majority for the BJP.
4. November 2016: The central government executes Demonetisation, invalidating high-value currency notes and reshaping economic and political policy narratives.
5. May 2019: The NDA-2 government returns to power with an even larger majority, winning 353 alliance seats.
6. August 2019: The Parliament votes to abrogate Article 370, revoking the special autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir and reorganizing it into Union Territories.
7. November 2019: The Supreme Court delivers its unanimous Ayodhya Verdict, resolving a century-old civil dispute.
8. June 2024: The NDA-3 government is sworn in following the 2024 General Elections. This marks Narendra Modi's third term, now navigating a classic coalition alignment backed heavily by regional allies.