An Analysis of the 2019 Indian General Election : Transition in Political Landscape and Its Implications

Abstract

The outcome of the 2019 Indian general election was unprecedented in many ways. For the first time in history, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government was re-elected. On the other hand, India’s main opposition Congress party suffered a second consecutive humiliating defeat. How did this happen? Specifically, what are the major factors behind the success of the BJP? Drawing on survey data, this paper identifies a combination of factors that paved the way for the landslide victory of the ruling party, which are leadership, forging effective alliances, winning the caste equation, and attracting new groups of voters. Now, what is the major implication of this verdict on the Indian party system? Contrary to existing studies which point out that despite the unprecedented rise of the BJP, a new party system is not yet arrived, this paper argues that the electoral outcome of 2019 has contributed to the establishment of the one-party dominant system in India. This system can be characterized as the hegemony of the BJP and the lack of an opposition.