The Return Of Coalition Politics: How The 2024 Verdict Restored Indian Democracy

In his compelling new book, The Return of Coalition Politics, noted parliamentarian Manoj K. Jha argues that the 2024 Lok Sabha election results are a pivotal return to coalition governance in India. Breaking a decade of single-party majority rule, voters, motivated by a desire to check authoritarianism, have delivered a half-hearted mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Jha contends that the discourse will henceforth be shaped by calls for inclusivity and representation, prompting the ruling alliance to prioritize debate and consultation, or face a dramatic collapse.

After the 2019 Lok Sabha verdict, a diverse coalition of political parties, civil society groups, and engaged citizens emerged to challenge the status quo in Parliament and beyond it. Jha contends that it culminated in the formation of the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), and details why its constituents—including the Indian National Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Shiv Sena (UBT), his own Rashtriya Janata Dal, and others—put aside past rivalries.

Jha argues that the 2024 election results demonstrate the limits of communal polarization, elevating issues of economic disparity and inequity to the forefront of political discourse.

As the BJP approaches this new political landscape on the defensive, having alienated its historical allies, Manoj Jha emphasizes that it now faces the undeniable necessity of embracing coalition politics—an essential feature of Indian democracy.