Performance of coalition governments in Indian states: A closer look

The fate of the MVA alliance in Maharashtra again raised questions over the stability of coalition governments in various states of the nation. Let's take a closer look at the history of coalitions at the state level and their performance:

Coalition governments that failed

Karnataka in 2019

The Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka formed the government in 2018 but fell in July 2019 after 15 legislators resigned from their parties, leading to the defeat of then Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in a trust vote. The crisis was caused due to internal disputes and a lack of agreement and coordination between the MLAs. There was also dissatisfaction over the allocation of government portfolios.

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Bihar in 2015

The RJD-JD(U) alliance handed a big defeat to the BJP in the 2015 Assembly elections in Bihar but the coalition crumbled in 2017 following tussles between Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav. A series of corruption accusations against the then Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav and RJD Chief Lalu Yadav led to Nitish's resignation. He said the situation was not conducive for him to continue as the CM. Nitish then allied with the BJP and formed the next government the day after his resignation.

Jammu and Kashmir in 2014

The 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections led to a hung Assembly. The ideologically divergent BJP and the PDP agreed to form a coalition with Mufti Mohammed Sayeed as the chief minister. He took over the post in 2015. Sayeed died in January 2016 following an illness and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti took the alliance forward as the CM. Differences cropped up between the parties over the killing of terrorist leader Burhan Wani. In 2018, PDP leaders objected to then Home Minister Rajnath Singh's decision to end a ceasefire and resume an anti-terror campaign in the Valley. The deteriorating security situation pushed the BJP to quit the partnership and the government fell in June the same year.

Delhi in 2013

The BJP, the Congress and the AAP failed to reach the majority mark in Delhi’s 2013 Assembly polls. The Congress then provided external support to the AAP, which formed the government in December 2013. Forty-eight days after assuming power, however, Kejriwal resigned as the chief minister following the government's failure to pass the Jan-Lokpal bill in the Assembly. President's Rule was then imposed in Delhi for almost a year.

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Uttar Pradesh in 1993

Those involved in the 1993 historic SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh failed to work well together and the government collapsed in 1995. While the BJP was the single largest party with 177 seats in the 2013 polls, the alliance got 176 seats. Since the coalition was short of the majority, it took the help of smaller parties and formed the government with Mulayam Singh Yadav as the chief minister. Hostilities between Yadav and BSP’s Mayawati spilled over into public view and the partnership crumbled.

On the other side of the fence are certain coalition governments that were able to complete the terms.

Successful coalition governments

Assam in 2016

With the BJP winning 60 out of 126 seats in Assam, it was short of a majority. With the support of the AGP and BPF, however, it crossed the majority mark and served for a five-year term.

West Bengal from 1977 to 2000

The Left Front, founded by six parties with the CPI(M) as the lead, ruled West Bengal from 1977 to 2000, with Jyoti Basu as the chief minister. The long-term success of the front showed that a coalition government comprising members of similar ideologies could not only survive but thrive for decades.