The common minimum programme (CMP) is a document outlining the shared agenda, policy, and priorities of a

coalition government A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...

in India and

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. It provides a framework for government operations, ensuring that all participating parties share a common understanding of the key issues and goals they aim to collectively address. The idea of CMP document has acquired prominence since coalition governments have become the norm in India in 1990s.

History

The

United Front A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political and/ ...

, a coalition government established in 1996, emphasized secularism, economic reforms, social justice, and empowerment of marginalized groups through its Common Minimum Programme. In 1998, the

National Democratic Alliance The National Democratic Alliance (NDA; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Rāṣṭrīya Lokatāntrik Gaṭhabandhan'') is an Indian big tent Political group, multi-party political alliance, led by the country's biggest political party, the Bharatiya Janata Pa ...

(NDA), spearheaded by the

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...

(BJP), assumed power. Its Common Minimum Programme prioritized national security, economic growth, infrastructure development, and effective governance. Additionally, it aimed to foster social cohesion, reinforce federalism, and tackle issues pertaining to agriculture and rural progress. The

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

-led

United Progressive Alliance The United Progressive Alliance (UPA; Hindi: Saṁyukta Pragatiśīl Gaṭhabandhan) was a Political group, political alliance in India led by the Indian National Congress. It was formed after the 2004 Indian general election, 2004 general ele ...

(UPA) coalition which won the

2004 Indian general election General elections were held in India in four phases between 20 April and 10 May 2004. Over 670 million people were eligible to vote, electing 543 members of the 14th Lok Sabha. Seven states also held assembly elections to elect state governmen ...

, had objectives such as education spending, limiting privatization, economic growth, social welfare, and "maintaining a credible nuclear weapons programme". Besides India,

also releases common minimum programme documents. It first happened in 2004 when the Nepali Congress (Democratic) formed a coalition.

References

{{Reflist Politics of India Coalition governments of India

History

See also

References