United Front (India) - Background

Background

India's general elections in 1996 brought about a fractured verdict. With the Bharatiya Janata Party emerging as the largest party, with 161 seats, it was invited first to form a government. In 13 days, Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government fell, and other parties met to come up with a solution. The Indian National Congress, with a substantial 140 seats, declined to head the government and along with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), agreed to extend outside support to a coalition with the Janata Dal at its head, named the "United Front". Other members of the front included the Samajwadi Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Asom Gana Parishad, Tamil Maanila Congress, Communist Party of India and Telugu Desam Party.

With the approval of the Congress and CPI(M), the sitting Chief Minister of Karnataka, H. D. Deve Gowda, was asked to head the coalition as Prime Minister after V. P. Singh and Jyoti Basu declined. His term was from June 1, 1996 - April 21, 1997. The Congress revoked its support to Gowda amidst discontent over communication between the coalition and the Congress. It compromised to support a new government under I. K. Gujral, who was Prime Minister from April 21, 1997 - March 19, 1998. Following the collapse of his government, fresh elections were called, and the United Front lost power.

The United Front was a successor to the National Front with looser cohesion between the parties.

(Another United Front in Indian politics was the coalition that held two governments in West Bengal 1967-1971.)

Political parties in India
Current national coalitions
  • National Democratic Alliance
  • United Progressive Alliance
  • Third Front
Former national coalitions
  • Janata Party
  • National Front
  • United Front
Recognised national parties
  • All India Trinamool Congress
  • Bahujan Samaj Party
  • Bharatiya Janata Party
  • Communist Party of India
  • Communist Party of India (Marxist)
  • Janata Dal (United)
  • Indian National Congress
  • Nationalist Congress Party
  • Samajwadi Party
Recognized state parties
  • All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
  • All India Forward Bloc
  • All India Trinamool Congress
  • All India United Democratic Front
  • Asom Gana Parishad
  • Biju Janata Dal
  • Bodoland People's Front
  • Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
  • Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
  • Haryana Janhit Congress (BL)
  • Indian National Lok Dal
  • Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
  • Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party
  • Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party
  • Janata Dal (Secular)
  • Janata Dal (United)
  • Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
  • Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik)
  • Kerala Congress
  • Kerala Congress (Mani)
  • Lok Jan Shakti Party
  • Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
  • Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
  • Manipur Peoples Party
  • Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
  • Meghalaya Democratic Party
  • Mizo National Front
  • Mizoram People's Conference
  • Muslim League Kerala State Committee
  • Nagaland People's Front
  • National People's Party
  • Pattali Makkal Katchi
  • People's Party of Punjab
  • Pondicherry Munnetra Congress
  • Rashtriya Janata Dal
  • Rashtriya Lok Dal
  • Revolutionary Socialist Party
  • Samajwadi Party
  • Shiromani Akali Dal
  • Shiv Sena
  • Sikkim Democratic Front
  • Telangana Rashtra Samithi
  • Telugu Desam Party
  • United Democratic Party
  • Uttarakhand Kranti Dal
  • YSR Congress Party
  • Zoram Nationalist Party
Other parties in parliament
  • All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
  • Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi
  • Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist)
  • Swabhimani Paksha
  • Swatantra Bharat Paksh
  • Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi
Other unrecognized parties or
parties with limited presence
  • Aam Aadmi Party
  • Pirate Party of India
  • All India Muslim Forum
  • Arunachal Congress
  • Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh
  • Communist Marxist Party
  • Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation
  • Democratic Socialist Party (Prabodh Chandra)
  • Indian Federal Democratic Party
  • Indian National Congress (Socialist)
  • Indian National League
  • Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra
  • Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithy
  • Jharkhand Party
  • Kerala Congress (Balakrishna Pillai)
  • Kerala Congress (Jacob)
  • Kerala Congress (Secular)
  • Kerala People's Party
  • Kongunadu Munnetra Peravai
  • Lok Satta Party
  • Naam Tamilar Katchi
  • Peoples Republican Party
  • Perunthalaivar Makkal Katchi
  • Pragatisheel Indira Congress
  • Professionals Party of India
  • Republican Party of India (Gavai)
  • Republican Party of India (Athvale)
  • Republican Party of India (B.C. Kamble)
  • Republican Party of India (Democratic)
  • Republican Party of India (Khobragade)
  • Revolutionary Socialist Party (Baby John)
  • Revolutionary Socialist Party (Bolshevik)
  • Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya)
  • United Goans Democratic Party
  • Karnataka Janata Party
  • Portal:Politics
  • List of political parties
  • Politics of India

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