THE PARTY SYSTEM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES1

Post-Congress politics in Uttar Pradesh, seen from the vantage point of the 1998 elections, is characterized by two transformations: the “second democratic upsurge ” and the “ethnification ” of the party system. The “second democratic upsurge ” refers to the dramatic surge in participation in the political process by members of subordinate social groups.2 The “ethnification ” of the party system refers to the emergence of a party system in which all major parties make open appeals to ethnic identity central to their political campaigns. This article focuses attention on the second of the two transformations. That increasing numbers of previously marginalised groups are beginning to enter the political arena is important. Equally important, however, is an understanding of the terms on which they are being inducted. The fact that the “second democratic upsurge ” is being channeled for the first time in Uttar Pradesh through an ethnic party system has profound consequences for politics in Uttar Pradesh and other states witnessing a similar phenomenon in the wake of widespread Congress decline. Part I of the article describes the “ethnification ” of the party system in Uttar Pradesh. Part II analyses the consequences of channeling the interests of subordinate social groups through ethnic parties rather than the centrist Congress party. I. The “Ethnification ” of the Party System I use the term “ethnicity ” here to mean nominal membership in an ascriptiv