State the main issues in Indian politics in the period after 1989. What different configurations of political parties these differences lead to?
The period after 1989 witnessed several crucial issues that shaped Indian politics. The implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations became a major issue, leading to the rise of OBC politics and caste-based parties. The Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the Supreme Court judgment on it created communal tensions. The Shah Bano case brought issues of personal law and gender justice to the forefront. Economic policies became a matter of political consensus among major parties.
These issues led to different configurations of political parties. The era saw the formation of the Janata Dal, followed by coalition politics at the national level. No single party secured a clear majority in Lok Sabha elections from 1989 till 2014. This initiated an era of coalition governments where regional parties played a crucial role. Two major alliances emerged — the NDA government and later the UPA government. The political landscape transformed from Congress dominance to a competitive multi-party system. However, in 2014 and 2019, the BJP secured a clear majority on its own, marking another shift in political configuration.
Explanation
This answer addresses both parts of the question comprehensively. The first part identifies the main issues: Mandal Commission implementation (OBC politics), Ram Janmabhoomi, Shah Bano case (personal law and gender justice), and economic policy consensus. The second part explains how these issues led to new party configurations: the decline of single-party majority, emergence of coalition governments with regional parties as key players, formation of NDA and UPA alliances, and eventually BJP's majority victories in 2014 and 2019. The answer uses only information from the provided context and follows the word count and formatting requirements for a 6-mark long answer question.