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{{short description|Coalition government (1996–1998)}}
{{Other uses|United Front (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox Indian political party
|name = United Front
|chairman = [[N. Chandrababu Naidu]]
|foundation = 1996
|abbreviation = '''UF'''
|headquarters = [[Andhra Pradesh Bhavan]], [[New Delhi]]
|dissolution = 1998
|colorcode = green
|colors =
|predecessor = [[National Front (India)|National Front]]
}}

The '''United Front''' was a [[coalition government]] of 13 political parties formed in [[India]] after the [[Indian general election, 1996|1996 general elections]].<ref name="Ahuja1998">{{cite book|author=M. L. Ahuja|title=Electoral politics and general elections in India, 1952–1998|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CFCjniBF9s8C&pg=PA9|access-date=10 December 2010|year=1998|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-7099-711-5|pages=9–}}</ref> It formed two governments in India between 1996 and 1998. [[N. Chandrababu Naidu]] of the [[Telugu Desam Party]] served as the convener of United Front.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-28 |title=Chandrababu Naidu: Coalitions have delivered clear policies |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/chandrababu-naidu-coalitions-have-delivered-clear-policies-5421662/ |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Service |first=Indo-Asian News |date=2022-04-20 |title=Andhra Pradesh: Naidu turns 72, gears up for another poll battle |url=https://www.siasat.com/andhra-pradesh-naidu-turns-72-gears-up-for-another-poll-battle-2312374/ |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=The Siasat Daily |language=en-US}}</ref> The United Front was headquartered at the [[Andhra Pradesh Bhavan]] in [[New Delhi]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Routed in many of its strongholds, Third Force loses its pan-Indian identity |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19980316-routed-in-many-of-its-strongholds-third-force-loses-its-pan-indian-identity-825938-1998-03-15 |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=India Today |date=16 March 1998 |language=en}}</ref> During its tenure, the government was led by two [[Prime Minister of India|prime ministers]] belonging to the [[Janata Dal]] – [[H. D. Deve Gowda]] and [[I. K. Gujral]]

==Background==
The Indian general election in 1996 returned a fractured verdict. With the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] emerging as the largest party with 161 of 543 seats, it was invited first to form a government. It accepted the offer, and [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] was sworn in as the prime minister. However, he was unable to get a majority in parliament, and the government dissolved 13 days later.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-16 |title=When Atal Bihari Vajpayee Became The Prime Minister For 13 Days And Then 13 Months |url=https://www.india.com/news/india/when-atal-bihari-vajpayee-became-the-prime-minister-for-13-days-and-then-13-months-3226171/ |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=India.com |language=en}}</ref> At a meeting of all the other parties, the [[Indian National Congress]], with a substantial 140 seats, declined to head the government and agreed to extend outside support to the coalition,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-03 |title=Mamata Banerjee Can Say No UPA Anymore but Her National Goals are Tied to Congress' Future |url=https://www.news18.com/news/opinion/mamata-banerjee-can-say-no-upa-anymore-but-her-national-goals-will-be-tied-to-congress-4513838.html |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref> whereas the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] agreed to join the coalition with the [[Janata Dal]] at its head,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Arvind |date=2022-08-19 |title=What Left parties' decision to not join Bihar alliance means for India's Dalits, women, MBCs |url=https://theprint.in/opinion/what-left-parties-decision-to-not-join-bihar-alliance-means-for-indias-dalits-women-mbcs/1089370/ |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref> named the United Front.

With the approval of the Congress and CPI(M), the sitting chief minister of [[Karnataka]], H. D. Deve Gowda, was asked to head the coalition as Prime Minister after [[V. P. Singh]] and [[Jyoti Basu]] declined.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-01-10 |title=Why Jyoti Basu could not be PM |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/thesiegewithin/why-jyoti-basu-could-not/ |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=Times of India Blog |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mukul |first=Akshaya |title=Historic blunder: How hardliners denied Basu the chance to be PM |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/historic-blunder-how-hardliners-denied-basu-the-chance-to-be-pm/articleshow/5472768.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2022-12-26}}</ref> His term was from 1 June 1996 to 21 April 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |agency=Press Trust of India |date=2021-06-01 |title=25 years ago HD Deve Gowda took oath as PM; JDS highlights achievements |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/25-years-ago-hd-deve-gowda-took-oath-as-pm-jds-highlights-achievements-121060100993_1.html |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.business-standard.com |language=en}}</ref> The Congress revoked its support for Gowda amidst discontent over communication between the coalition and the Congress. It compromised to support a new government under [[I. K. Gujral]], who served as the prime minister from 21 April 1997 to 19 March 1998. Following the collapse of his government, [[Indian general election, 1998|fresh elections]] were called,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elections '98: United Front confident of good performance in coming polls |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19971215-elections-98-united-front-confident-of-good-performance-in-coming-polls-831056-1997-12-14 |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=India Today |date=15 December 1997 |language=en}}</ref> and the United Front lost power.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Third Front {{!}} Alternative political combination and its challenges |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/opinion/third-front-alternative-political-combination-and-its-challenges-8345961.html |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=Moneycontrol |date=11 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Later, when N. Chandrababu Naidu stepped down as convener of the United Front to extend outside support to the [[National Democratic Alliance]], the coalition disbanded.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-10 |title=Chandrababu Naidu 2.0: Can he recreate 1996 in 2019 in the Capital? |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/editorials/chandrababu-naidu-2-0-can-he-recreate-1996-in-2019-in-the-capital/story-X5YDQk3Uqs53fPKKfNrwDO.html |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>

== Electoral performance ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Legislature
! Coalition leader
! Seats won
! Change in seats
! Percentage of votes
! Vote swing
! Outcome
! class="unsortable" | Ref.
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[1996 Indian general election|1996]]
| [[11th Lok Sabha]]
|rowspan=4|[[N. Chandrababu Naidu]]
|{{Composition bar|305|543|{{party color|Janata Dal}}}}
| {{steady}} ''new''
| 56.31%
| {{steady}} ''new''
| {{yes2|Government}}
|{{sfn|Election Commission|1996}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[1998 Indian general election|1998]]
| [[12th Lok Sabha]]
|{{Composition bar|88|543|{{party color|Janata Dal}}}}
| {{decrease}} 217
| 20.98%
| {{decrease}} 35.33%
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|{{sfn|Election Commission|1998}}
|}

== List of prime ministers ==
{{see|List of prime ministers of India}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;width:60%;margin-top:0.5em;"
|-
! rowspan="2" | No.
! rowspan="2" | Portrait
! rowspan="2" | Name
! colspan="3" | Term in office
! rowspan="2" | Lok Sabha
! rowspan="2" | Cabinet
! rowspan="2" | Constituency
! rowspan=2 colspan="2" | Party
|-
! Start
! End
! Tenure
|- style="vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"
| 1
| [[File:H. D. Deve Gowda.jpg|100px]]
| '''[[H. D. Deve Gowda]]'''
| 1 June 1996
| 21 April 1997
| {{age in years and days|1996|6|1|1997|4|21}}
| rowspan="2" |[[11th Lok Sabha|11th]]
| [[Deve Gowda ministry|Deve Gowda]]
| [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha|Rajya Sabha]] [[List of Rajya Sabha members from Karnataka|Karnataka]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Janata Dal]]
| rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Janata Dal}};" | 
|- style="vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"
| 2
| [[File:Inder Kumar Gujral 017.jpg|100px]]
| '''[[Inder Kumar Gujral]]'''
| 21 April 1997
| 19 March 1998
| {{age in years and days|1997|4|21|1998|3|19}}
| [[Gujral ministry|Gujral]]
| [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha|Rajya Sabha]] [[List of Rajya Sabha members from Bihar|Bihar]]
|}

== Coalition members ==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;width:60%;margin-top:0.5em;"
|+
!colspan="2" style="width:30px;" |Party
!style="width:60px;" |[[1996 Indian general election|1996]] {{small|(Post-poll alliance)}}
!style="width:60px;" |[[1998 Indian general election|1998]] {{small|(Pre-poll alliance)}}
!style="width:60px;" |Seat Change
|-style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=5 |Internal support
|-style="text-align:center;"
|style="background-color:{{party color|Asom Gana Parishad}}; text-align: center;" |
|[[Asom Gana Parishad]]
|5
|0
|{{Decrease}} 5
|-style="text-align:center;"
|style="background-color:{{party color|Communist Party of India}}; text-align: center;" |
|[[Communist Party of India]]
|12
|9
|{{Decrease}} 3
|-style="text-align:center;"
|style="background-color:{{party color|Communist Party of India (Marxist)}}; text-align: center;" |
|[[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]]
|32
|32
|{{Steady}}
|-style="text-align:center;"
|style="background-color:{{party color|Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}; text-align: center;" |
|[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]
|17
|6
|{{Decrease}} 11
|-style="text-align:center;"
|style="background-color:{{party color|Janata Dal}}; text-align: center;" |
|[[Janata Dal]]
|46
|6
|{{Decrease}} 40
|-style="text-align:center;"
|style="background-color:{{party color|Samajwadi Party}}; text-align: center;" |
|[[Samajwadi Party]]
|17
|20
|{{Increase}} 3
|-style="text-align:center;"
|style="background-color:{{party color|Tamil Maanila Congress}}; text-align: center;" |
|[[Tamil Maanila Congress]]
|20
|3
|{{Decrease}} 17
|-style="text-align:center;"
|style="background-color:{{party color|Telugu Desam Party}}; text-align: center;" |
|[[Telugu Desam Party]]
|16
|12
|{{Decrease}} 4
|-style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=5 |External support
|-style="text-align:center;"
|style="background-color:{{party color|Indian National Congress}}; text-align: center;" |
|[[Indian National Congress]]
|140
!colspan=2 |
|-style="text-align:center;"
|colspan=2 |'''Total'''
|'''305'''
|'''88'''
|{{Decrease}} 217
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Indian political parties}}

[[Category:Defunct political party alliances in India]]
[[Category:Coalition governments of India]]
[[Category:Gowda administration]]
[[Category:Gujral administration]]
[[Category:1996 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1996]]

United Front (India, 1996) - Revision history

DougHuonDeKermad: bio