UPA Full Form

UPA stands for United Progressive Alliance. It is a coalition of all left-leaning parties of India that was founded in 2004. Its founder is Ms Sonia Gandhi. Several political parties of India, including the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samajwadi Party and the Left Front party supported Indian National Congress to form the alliance, and they called it UPA just after the general election of 2004.

The policies and supervision at the initial stage were done by Jyoti Basu and Harkishan Singh Surjeet. However, the policies were recognized as supporting status to the Congress and the chairperson of the alliance, Ms Sonia Gandhi.

History Highlights

UPA was established immediately after the general election took place in 2004 with the majority votes. Different political parties had given support to UPA formation as Samajwadi party with 39 MPs, Bahujan Samajwadi party with 19 MPs and Left front with 59 MPs came forward to support for UPA at a different phase of rule. The policies of the UPA government took place and at the initial stage supervised by a common minimum programme that the alliance arrived in with beneficial consultations with Jyoti Basu and Harikishan Singh Surjeet of the 59 members of the Left front, however, the government policies have been recognized as supporting status, indicating the centrist policy of INC ( Indian National Congress).

Supporting Parties of UPA

There are various political parties that are in and support UPA. 

• Indian National Congress

• Rashtriya Janata Dal 

• Janata Dal (Secular)

• Kerala congress

• Jharkhand Mukti Morcha 

• Nationalist Congress Party

• All India United Democratic Fund

• Jammu and Kashmir National Conference

UPA vs NDA:

UPA: 

An alliance of political parties came into presence in the 2004 general elections. The biggest member party of UPA is INC (Indian National Congress). The founder of UPA is Ms Sonia Gandhi. In this, there are a majority of other parties too included as well to give support. 

NDA: 

NDA (National Democratic Alliance) is governed by the BJP government. Its founder was late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee along with their other party representatives, which includes Shri Lal Krishna Advani and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. This alliance ruled from 1998 to 2004. Later again in the 2014 general elections, NDA procured its power and its governing by Shri Narendra Modi.  

Party Eliminations: 

• Bahujan Samaj party:

BSP made the declaration on 21 June 2008 to stop giving support to Congress due to allegations or accusations made by them on BSP. BSP leader Ms Mayawati put blame on the Congress party for not keeping up the promises of helping Bundelkhand and Purvanchal people when they were suffering from drought.

• Telagana Rastriya Samithi:

It was the very initial party that withdrew its name from UPA.

• Left Front:

Prakash Karat, the General Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist), in July 2008, made a declaration of quitting the party alliance because of the decision made by the government to go forward with the Indo-US- nuclear deal signed between both countries. 

• Jammu and Kashmir People Democratic Party: 

Mehbooba Mufti, the President of the Jammu and Kashmir People Democratic Party, declared to leave the UPA. The reason given was that Congress had made up its mind to extend its supporting hands for the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government in Jammu and Kashmir. 

• Pattali Makkal Katchi: 

PMK  announced its withdrawal from UPA on 26 March 26th 2009 and moved to join AIADMK.

• All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen:

Barrister Assaudin Owaisi, leader of AIMIM announced on 12 November 2012 to quit UPA. He gave the statement that he was forced to take the decision because of the communal behaviour of Kiran Kumar Reddy’s government in Andhra Pradesh.

• All India Trinamool Congress:

AITC chief Mamta Banerjee declared withdrawing support to the UPA on 12 November 2012, when AITC requests of call for reforms inclusive FDI retail, a surge in the price of diesel and confining the number of subsidised gas cylinders, and all the above demands were not fulfilled.

Brief on Indian National Congress (INC):

The Indian National Congress is a political party that was founded in 1885 and is led by Ms Sonia Gandhi as a chairperson. Just after the Independence in 1947, Congress emerged as India’s powerful political party. INC won a majority vote and ruled India for over 54 years. From 2004-to 2014 UPA (United Progressive Alliance), an alliance of congress along with major various political parties has formed the government led by Manmohan Singh (the then Prime Minister). The leader Sonia Gandhi has had the longest journey as President of the INC party.

The article is very interesting as it provides information to the reader about UPA or United Progressive Alliance such as supporting parties of UPA. It will increase the general knowledge of readers.