The Coalition Years

Indian politics between 1996 and 2012 ran on alliances, and Pranab Mukherjee sat close to the centre of nearly every one of them. The Coalition Years sets down his account of that stretch, written after a career that ended in the presidency. The narrative moves through negotiation rooms, party decisions and the daily arithmetic of holding a government together, with attention to how the Indian National Congress operated and how competing interests were reconciled. Mukherjee writes as a participant rather than an observer, which gives the book its value as a record of governance as well as a personal account. What this title covers: • A first-hand view of coalition bargaining from someone who conducted it • Reflections on party organisation and the discipline alliances demand • Context on diplomacy and administration during a shifting political era • A statesman's assessment of decisions taken under real pressure Suited to readers of contemporary Indian history, political science students and anyone following South Asian governance. Published by Rupa Publications and available at Boipoka.