Modern Indian History

Anti-defection law 1985, Shah Bano and Ayodhya, Bofors, V.P. Singh and the Mandal Commission 1990, 1991 balance-of-payments crisis and reforms

• Mandal politics altered the debate over representation
• The Ayodhya mobilisation reshaped party competition
• Coalitions and regional parties shaped government formation after 1989
• Successive governments sustained the broad post-1991 reform direction