The evolution of state politics in India since independence in 1947 reflects the broader transformation of Indian democracy from centralized political dominance to competitive federal pluralism. At the time of independence, India inherited a highly fragmented administrative structure consisting of British provinces and princely states. The immediate political priority of the national leadership was political integration and administrative consolidation, which significantly influenced early state-level politics. During the initial decades after independence, state politics largely functioned as an extension of national politics, dominated by the Indian National Congress, which enjoyed unparalleled organizational strength, leadership legitimacy derived from the freedom struggle, and ideological coherence. Between 1947 and the mid-1960s, the Congress system shaped political configurations across most Indian states. The party maintained control through broad social coalitions that included rural elites, urban middle classes, and marginalized communities. State leaders operated within a centralized party structure, and chief ministers were often dependent on the central leadership for political survival. Electoral competition existed but remained weak because opposition parties lacked organizational depth and mass appeal. During this phase, state politics did not display strong regional autonomy; instead, governance priorities, leadership selection, and policy directions were largely influenced by national political considerations. A major transformation occurred with the linguistic reorganization of states beginning in 1956 following demands for administrative units based