“The Indian party system is passing through a phase of transition which looks to be full of contradictions and paradoxes.” Discuss.

Introduction

India's party system has moved through distinct phases — the one-party dominance of the Congress system described by Rajni Kothari, fragmentation and coalition politics after 1989, and since 2014 a return to single-party majority amid what scholars call a second dominant-party system. The current transition is indeed layered with contradictions.

Contradictions and paradoxes of the transition

• National dominance versus federal assertion: one party dominates national elections, yet strong regional parties retain power in major states, producing sharply different national and state verdicts.
• Ideological convergence versus polarisation: parties broadly agree on economic reform and welfare delivery, yet compete through intense identity-based mobilisation.
• Democratisation versus dynasty: parties mobilise ever-wider social groups, but inner-party democracy is weak and leadership is frequently hereditary.
• Clean-politics rhetoric versus criminalisation: nearly half of recent Lok Sabha members face criminal cases as per ADR, despite Supreme Court-mandated disclosure norms.
• Anti-defection law versus engineered defections: the Tenth Schedule exists, yet wholesale defections and resort politics topple governments.
• Cadre parties versus electoral machines: ideology-driven organisation is giving way to professionalised, high-spending campaign machinery with opaque funding, as the striking down of electoral bonds in 2024 underlined.
• Centralising politics versus federal bargaining: pushes for simultaneous elections coexist with states demanding greater fiscal and political space.

Conclusion

These contradictions reflect a democracy that is socially deepening while institutionally hollowing. Reforms in party funding transparency, inner-party democracy and a strengthened anti-defection regime are essential for the transition to mature into accountable multiparty competition.