Republic of India
Constitution adopted on the 26th of January. Universal adult franchise from the very first day. At the time, the largest enfranchisement of voters in human history.
Constituent Assembly of India Reference
The Indian political landscape.
Who governs where, what comes next, and the history that shaped the present.
06.1
Seven decades, in eight beats.
From single-party dominance to coalition arithmetic and back. Scroll through.
The first general election
Congress wins 364 of 489 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress System begins: one-party dominance at the Centre and across most states, lasting two and a half decades.
Jawaharlal NehruThe end of one-party dominance
After the Emergency, the Janata Party defeats the Congress. The first non-Congress government takes office at the Centre. The single-party era closes.
Prime Minister Morarji DesaiCoalition era begins
V. P. Singh's National Front forms the government. No single party can rule the Centre alone any more. Regional parties become permanent power-brokers.
Vishwanath Pratap SinghNDA wins
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance forms government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Coalition politics is now the structure of national power, not a transitional phase.
Atal Bihari VajpayeeUPA government
The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance returns to power under Manmohan Singh. Ten years in office across two terms, the long counterweight to a rising BJP.
Prime Minister Manmohan SinghBJP majority
The BJP under Narendra Modi wins an outright majority, the first single-party majority since 1984. Returned in 2019 with a larger mandate. The coalition era pauses.
Prime Minister Narendra ModiCoalition arithmetic returns
The NDA retains government (Modi 3.0), but the BJP loses its single-party majority. The opposition reorganises as the INDIA bloc. Coalition arithmetic is back at the Centre.
Council of Ministers, 2024- 1950
- 1952
- 1977
- 1989
- 1998
- 2004
- 2014
- 2024
- 1950 · Republic of India. Constitution adopted on the 26th of January. Universal adult franchise from the very first day. At the time, the largest enfranchisement of voters in human history.
- 1952 · The first general election. Congress wins 364 of 489 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress System begins: one-party dominance at the Centre and across most states, lasting two and a half decades.
- 1977 · The end of one-party dominance. After the Emergency, the Janata Party defeats the Congress. The first non-Congress government takes office at the Centre. The single-party era closes.
- 1989 · Coalition era begins. V. P. Singh's National Front forms the government. No single party can rule the Centre alone any more. Regional parties become permanent power-brokers.
- 1998 · NDA wins. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance forms government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Coalition politics is now the structure of national power, not a transitional phase.
- 2004 · UPA government. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance returns to power under Manmohan Singh. Ten years in office across two terms, the long counterweight to a rising BJP.
- 2014 · BJP majority. The BJP under Narendra Modi wins an outright majority, the first single-party majority since 1984. Returned in 2019 with a larger mandate. The coalition era pauses.
- 2024 · Coalition arithmetic returns. The NDA retains government (Modi 3.0), but the BJP loses its single-party majority. The opposition reorganises as the INDIA bloc. Coalition arithmetic is back at the Centre.
06.2
State of the Union.
Who governs where. 28 states, 8 union territories, the Centre. Coloured by alliance, not endorsement.
NDA-aligned INDIA-aligned Other / unaligned Centre-administered
Colour and letter indicate alliance, not endorsement. Hover or tap any state for the ruling party and Chief Minister.
Union Government · 2024 mandate
NDA · Modi 3.0
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Lead partyBJP (240 seats)
Sworn in9 June 2024
17th Lok Sabha543 seats total
NDA · 293INDIA · 234Other · 16
Next general electionBy May 2029
06.3
Who is on the ballot.
ECI-recognised parties: national, state, and the long tail of registered-unrecognised.
- 6
National parties
Recognised by the Election Commission of India across multiple states per the recognition thresholds.
- BJP
- INC
- BSP
- CPI(M)
- AAP
- NPP
- 57
State parties
Recognised in one or more state legislatures. Regional powerhouses with the bulk of state-level mandates.
- DMK
- TMC
- BJD
- TDP
- YSRCP
- SP
- RJD
- JMM
- BRS
- JD(U)
- JD(S)
- AIADMK
- NCP
- NCP-SP
- Shiv Sena
- Shiv Sena (UBT)
- AIMIM
- SAD
- SKM
- JKNC
- AGP
- NPF
- ZPM
- MNF
- and 33 more
- 2,800+
Registered unrecognised
Below the recognition thresholds. The long tail of organised political activity in India sits here.
-
BJP -
INC -
BSP -
CPI(M) -
AAP -
NPP
-
DMK -
TMC -
BJD -
TDP -
YSRCP -
SP -
RJD -
JMM -
BRS -
JD(U) -
JD(S) -
AIADMK -
NCP -
NCP-SP -
Shiv Sena -
SHS (UBT) -
AIMIM -
SAD -
SKM -
JKNC -
AGP -
NPF -
ZPM -
MNF
06.4
What's on the calendar.
State assemblies and the General, in chronological order from today.
-
2027 7 cycles · 5 state assemblies in Feb-Mar window, 2 in December - Feb–Mar 2027
- Punjab
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
- Goa
- Manipur
- Dec 2027
- Gujarat
- Himachal Pradesh
- Feb–Mar 2027
-
2028 8 cycles · Northeast triple in Feb, Karnataka in May, four-state cluster in Nov–Dec - Feb 2028
- Tripura
- Meghalaya
- Nagaland
- May 2028
- Karnataka
- Nov 2028
- Mizoram
- Nov–Dec 2028
- Chhattisgarh
- Madhya Pradesh
- Telangana
- Dec 2028
- Rajasthan
- Feb 2028
-
2029 The General + 4 state cycles concurrent with the Lok Sabha vote - Apr–May 2029
- Lok Sabha (General)General 18th Lok Sabha term ends
- Andhra Pradesh Concurrent with the General
- Odisha Concurrent with the General
- Sikkim Concurrent with the General
- Arunachal Pradesh Concurrent with the General
- Apr–May 2029
Last updated 2026-05-17 Sources: Election Commission of India, state Chief Electoral Officers, and PRS Legislative Research. Party-symbol artwork and India administrative map sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Map reflects governments in office after the 4 May 2026 declaration.