The political framework of India

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders

President: Droupadi Murmu (since 25 July 2022) - BJP
Vice President: Jagdeep Dhankhar (since 11 August 2022) - BJP
Prime Minister: Narendra Modi (since 26 May 2014) – BJP

Next Election Dates

Presidential: July 2027
Legislative: April-May 2024

Current Political Context

Re-elected with a broad mandate for a second five-year term in May 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling coalition are expected to stay in power until the end of the term, in 2024. Modi’s second mandate focuses on job creation, the liberalisation of the economy, and infrastructure investment, while also tackling corruption and promoting Hindu nationalism. Modi's nationalist agenda, however, has dampened foreign investors, who are keen on secular policies. In 2021, India began its two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, marking the eighth time the country has set on the council. Furthermore, in 2022, Indians went to the ballots to vote on both Presidential and state legislative elections. With 64.03% of the votes, BJP candidate, Droupadi Murmu, was elected the new president of India. Droupadi Murmu is the first person belonging to the tribal community and also the second woman to hold the office, as well as the youngest person to occupy the post. Furthermore, the former Governor of West Bengal and BJP candidate, Jagdeep Dhankhar, was elected vice-president with 74.37% of the votes. The year also say by-elections to the Lok Sabha, elections to the Rajya Sabha, to state legislative assemblies and numerous other elections and by-elections to state legislative councils and local bodies.

Main Political Parties

- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): right-wing, pro-Hindu, nationalist ideology; heads the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition and has been the ruling political party of India for the past eight years;
- Indian National Congress (INC): centre to centre-left, big tent party, social democratic, secular; a major party involved in the independence movement; heads the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) opposition coalition;
- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): centre-left, social equality. India's third major political party, whose electorate is mainly composed of Dalits and low castes.

Other notable parties:
- All India Trinamool Congress (AITC): centre to centre-right, Bengali nationalist, populist
- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK): centre-left, social democratic, regionalist
- Biju Janata Dal (BJD): centre to centre-left, social democratic, liberal, populist
- Telugu Desam Party (TDP): centre-right, neoliberal, populist, regionalist
- Communist Party of India (CPI): far-left, Communist, Marxist-Leninist
- Nationalist Congress Party (NCP): centre to centre-left, nationalist
- National People's Party (NPP): centre to centre-left, regionalist, ethnocentrist

Executive Power

The President is the Chief of State and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He/she is indirectly elected for a five-year term by an electoral college, which consists of elected members of both houses of Parliament as well as the legislative assemblies of each of India's states and territories.
The Prime Minister is the Head of Government and is chosen by Lok Sabha members (House of the People, lower chamber) of the majority party, following legislative elections, to serve a term of five years. The President, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, appoints the Cabinet.

Legislative Power

The Indian legislature is bicameral. The Parliament consists of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). The Council of States has 245 members serving a six-year term, while the House of the People has 543 members serving a five-year term.

Indicator of Freedom of the Press

World Rank:

142/180

Indicator of Political Freedom

Ranking:

Free

Political Freedom:

2/7

Political freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Freedom in the World Report, Freedom House