REGIME'S RESPONSE TO FOREIGN POLICY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INDIA'S FOREIGN POLICY UNDER THE UNITED FRONT AND BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY GOVERNMENTS

This article provides a comparative study of India's foreign policy under two different types of coalition governments: the center-left United Front government (1996-98) and the right-wing, BJP-led government that followed. It examines how the nature of the ruling regime influenced the country's response to key foreign policy issues. The study analyzes the foreign policy of the United Front government, highlighting its emphasis on improving relations with smaller neighbors through the "Gujral Doctrine." This is contrasted with the foreign policy of the early BJP government, which was marked by the 1998 nuclear tests and a more assertive and nationalist posture. The research argues that the ideological orientation and the composition of the ruling coalition have a significant impact on the style and substance of foreign policy. The analysis concludes that the period represented a significant shift in Indian foreign policy, moving away from its traditional non-aligned consensus towards a more contested and ideologically-driven approach.

How much does the nature of the ruling regime affect a country's foreign policy? This paper addresses this question through a comparative case study of two successive and ideologically distinct coalition governments in India. The first part of the study is an analysis of the foreign policy of the United Front government. It focuses on the "Gujral Doctrine," a major policy initiative aimed at improving relations with India's smaller South Asian neighbors through unilateral, non-reciprocal concessions. The paper argues that this doctrine was a product of the specific character of the center-left coalition, which sought to project a more benign and cooperative image of India in the region. The second part of the paper provides a sharp contrast by analyzing the foreign policy of the subsequent BJP-led government. The central event examined is the decision to conduct the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in May 1998, a move that dramatically altered the regional security landscape. The paper argues that this decision was a direct and clear manifestation of the Hindu nationalist ideology of the BJP, which had long advocated for India to become an overt nuclear power. By comparing these two cases, the findings demonstrate that while there are certain underlying continuities in Indian foreign policy dictated by structural factors, the specific ideology and political composition of the ruling regime can lead to profoundly different policy choices and outcomes. The paper concludes that the rise of the BJP marked the end of the old Nehruvian consensus and the beginning of a new, more contested era in Indian foreign policy.