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POLITICAL PARTIES
A political party is a group of people who come together to contest
elections and hold power in the government. They agree on some
policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote the
collective good. A political party tries to convince people that its policies
are better than others' policies. They try to win elections so that they can
implement their policies.
CHARACTERS OF A POLITICAL PARTY
parties reflect fundamental political divisions in a society. Parties are
about a part of the society and thus involve PARTISANSHIP. Thus a
party is known by which part it stands for, which policies it supports and
whose interests it upholds. A political party has three components:
1. The Leaders
2. The Active Members
3. The Followers
FUNCTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTY:
The main function of a political party is to occupy political offices and
exercise political power. For achieving this, a political party performs
following functions:
1. Contesting Elections: Political parties contest elections. A political
party nominates its candidate for the electoral contest in various
constituencies.
2. Policies: Political parties put forward different policies and
programmes so that the voters can choose from them. A political
party brings a large number of similar opinions under one
umbrella. These opinions are channelized to form policies and
programmes. The poilies and programmes of the RULING PARTY
are expected to be followed by the government.
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3. Making Laws: Political parties play a decisive role in making laws
for the country. You may be aware that it is the legislature which
passes a law after proper debate. As most of the members belong
to political parties, so a political party has direct say in law making
for the country.
4. Formation of Government: Political parties form and run
governments. The executive body is formed by people from the
ruling party, Various political leaders are assigned different
ministries to carry out the task of governance
5. Playing Opposition: A party which does not get majority or come
under the majority coalition, needs to play the role of opposition
6. Shaping Public Opinion; Political parties shape public opinion.
They do so by raising and highlighting issues in the legislature and
in the media. The activists of a political party are spread all over
the country. These activists raise public awareness for their party's
perspective.
7. Providing Access to Government Machinery: Political parties
provide people access to government machinery and welfare
schemes implemented by governments. Parties need to be
responsive to people's needs and demands. This helps them in
winning the election.
NECESSITY OF POLITICAL PARTIES
“Political parties are necessary in a democracy because they give
people choices, run governments, and act as a link between people and
the state.”
● 1. Representation of people – In a large democracy, people cannot
take direct decisions. Parties bring different views and represent
sections of society.
● 2. Contest elections – Parties nominate candidates, campaign, and
provide a choice to voters.
● 3. Form government – The party with majority forms government,
makes policies, and runs administration.
● 4. Provide opposition – Opposition parties check the ruling party,
point out mistakes, and prevent misuse of power.
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● 5. Shape public opinion – Parties raise issues, conduct
movements, and educate people about policies and problems.
● 6. Link between people and government – They act as a bridge by
conveying people’s needs to the government and government’s
decisions back to the [Link]-party System Vs Two-party
System
Thus, without political parties, democracy cannot function properly.”
HOW MANY PARTIES SHOULD WE HAVE?
The answer: It depends on the country’s social conditions, history, and
democratic traditions.
One-Party System:
● In this system, only one party is allowed to exist and rule.
● Citizens do not have any real choice.
❌
● Example: China (Communist Party).
● Such a system is undemocratic, even if elections are held,
because there is no competition.
Two-Party System
● In this system, two main parties dominate political power.
● Power alternates between them, giving voters a clear choice.
● Example: USA (Democrats & Republicans), UK (Labour &
✅
Conservative).
❌
● Advantages: Stability, clear majority, simple for voters.
● Disadvantage: Limited choice (smaller parties rarely get
recognition).
Multi-Party System
1. In this system, more than two strong parties compete for power.
2. No single party usually wins a majority, so coalition governments
are formed.
3. Examples: India, France, Italy.
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✅ Advantages:
1. Provides wider choice to people.
2. Represents social and regional diversity.
● Promotes consensus and discussion in governance.
❌ Disadvantages:
● Can lead to instability and frequent changes in government.
● Coalition partners may pull out, weakening policies.
India’s Case (Why Multi-Party System?)
India has a huge population, great social diversity (religions, castes,
languages), and a federal structure. A single or two-party system cannot
represent this diversity. Hence, India has adopted a multi-party system,
where both national and regional parties play an important role.
Example: Coalition governments like UPA and NDA.
Popular Participation in Political Parties:
In India the common perception is, political parties are facing a crisis
because they are very unpopular and the citizens are indifferent to
political parties.
The available evidence shows that this belief is only partly true for India.
The evidence, based on a series of large sample surveys conducted
over several decades, shows that:
A. Political parties do not enjoy much trust among the people in South
Asia. The proportion of those who say their trust in political parties is "not
much or not at all" is more than those who have some or 'great trust.
B. The same is true of most other democracies as well. Political parties
are one of the least trusted Institutions all over the world.
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[Link] the level of participation in the activities of political parties was
fairly high. The proportion of those who said they were members of
some political party was higher in India than many advanced countries
like Cariada, Japan, Spain and South Korea.
D. Over the last three decades the proportion of those who report to be
members of political parties in India has gone up steadiy
The proportion of those who say they feel close to a political party has
also gone up in India in this period.
National Political Parties:
Every party in the country has to register with the Election Commission.
While the Commission treats all parties equally, it offers some special
facilities to large and established parties. These parties are given a
unique symbol; only the official candidates of that party can use that
election symbol. Parties that get this privilege and some other special
facilities are recognised by the Election Commission for this purpose.
That is why these parties are called, "recognised political parties'.
criteria set by the Election Commission of India for Political Parties
The Election Commission of India has set certain criteria for Political
Parties. National parties must secure at least 6% of the vote in the Lok
Sabha elections or 6% of the vote in the election to at least 4 different
state assemblies. They must win at least 4 seats in the Lok Sabha and
then they would be recognised as a national [Link] to this
classification, there were seven national recognised parties in the
country in 2019
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A) All India Trinamool Congress (AITC): Launched on 1 January 1998
under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. Recognised as a national
party in 2016. The party's symbol is flowers and grass. Committed to
secularism and federalism. Has been in power in West Bengal since
2011. It also has a presence in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura.
In the General Elections held in 2019, it got 4.07 per cent votes and won
22 seats, making it the fourth largest party in the Lok Sabha.
B) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): Formed in 1984 under the leadership
of Kanshi Ram. Seeks to represent and secure power for the bahujan
samaj which includes the dalits, adivasis, OBCs and religious minorities.
Draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Sahu Maharaj,
Mahatma Phule, Periyar Ramaswami Naicker and Babasaheb
Ambedkar. Stands for the cause of securing the interests and welfare of
the dalits and oppressed people. It has its main base in the state of Uttar
Pradesh and substantial presence in neighbouring states like Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Punjab. Formed the
government in Uttar Pradesh several times by taking the support of
different parties at different times. In the Lok Sabha elections held in
2019, it polled about 3.63 per cent votes and secured 10 seats in the Lok
Sabha.
C) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): Founded in 1980 by reviving the
erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh, formed by Syama Prasad Mukherjee in
1951. Wants to build a strong and modern India by drawing inspiration
from India's ancient culture and values; and Deendayal Upadhyaya's
ideas of integral humanism and Antyodaya. Cultural nationalism (or
'Hindutva') is an important element in its conception of Indian nationhood
and politics. Wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and
Kashmir with India, a uniform civil code for all people living in the country
irrespective of religion, and ban on religious conversions. Its support
base increased substantially in the 1990s. Earlier limited to north and
west and to urban areas, the party expanded its support in the south,
east, the northeast and to rural areas. Came to power in 1998 as the
leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) including several
regional parties. It emerged as the largest party with 303 members in the
2019 Lok Sabha elections. Currently leads the ruling NDA
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government at the Centre.
D) Communist Party of India (CPI): Formed in 1925. Believes in
Marxism-Leninism, secularism and democracy. Opposed to the forces of
secessionism and communalism. Accepts parliamentary democracy as a
means of promoting the interests of the working class, farmers and the
poor. Became weak after the split in the party in 1964 that led to the
formation of the CPI(M). Significant presence in the states of Kerala,
West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Its support base
had gradually declined over the years. It secured less than 1 per cent
votes and 2 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Advocates the
coming together of all left parties to build a strong left front.
E) Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M): Founded in 1964.
Believes in Marxism-Leninism. Supports socialism, secularism and
democracy and opposes imperialism and communalism. Accepts
democratic elections as a useful and helpful means for securing the
objective of socioeconomic justice in India. Enjoys strong support in
West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, especially among the poor, factory
workers, farmers, agricultural labourers and the intelligentsia. Critical of
the new economic policies that allow free flow of foreign capital and
goods into the country. Was in power in West Bengal without a break for
34 years. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it won about 1.75 per cent of
votes and 3 seats.
F) Indian National Congress (INC): Popularly known as the Congress
Party. One of the oldest parties of the world. Founded in 1885 and has
experienced many splits. Played a dominant role in Indian politics at the
national and state level for several decades after India's Independence.
Under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, the party sought to build a
modern secular democratic republic in India. Ruling party at the centre
till 1977 and then from 1980 to 1989. After 1989, its support declined,
but it continues to be present throughout the country, cutting across
social divisions. A centrist party (neither rightist nor leftist) in its
ideological orientation, the party espouses secularism and welfare of
weaker sections and minorities. The INC supports new economic
reforms but with a human face. Leader of the United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) government from 2004 to 2019. In the 2019 Lok Sabha
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election, it won 19.5% votes and 52 seats.
G) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP): Formed in 1999 following a split in
the Congress party. Espouses democracy, Gandhian secularism, equity,
social justice and federalism. Wants that high offices in government be
confined to natural born citizens of the country. A major party in
Maharashtra and has a significant presence in Meghalaya, Manipur and
Assam. A coalition partner in the state of Maharashtra in alliance with
the Congress. Since 2004, a member of the United Progressive Alliance.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, it won 1.4% votes and 5 seats.
STATE PARTIES
State Party: Parties which have their presence only at the state level are
called State parties. These include parties with national level political
organisation, but which have succeeded in only a few states Samajwadi
party, Rashtriya Janata Dai, Samata Party are examples of state parties.
A party that secures at least 6 per cent of the total votes in an election to
the Legislative Assembly of a State and wins at least two seats
recognised as a State party..
At National Front, Over the last few decades, state or regional parties
have grown considerably. Since 1996, every government at the national
level has been a coalition of parties headed usually by one national party
This has led to strengthening of the federal structure of our government.
Challenges to political parties:
Some of the challenges which the political parties face are as follows
1l Lack of internal Democracy in most of the political parties, the
power is concentrated in the hands of one or a handful of leaders.
Ordinary members of the party cannot even dream of rising to the top.
The top leadership is often disconnected with the grassroots workers.
Loyalty to the policies and principles of the party has less value than the
loyalty to the top leadership.
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2) Dynastic Succession: The top positions in many political parties are
usually controlled by members of one family. A person born in a
particular family becomes the leader by virtue of his birth, which is not
the sign of a healthy democracy. This tendency is present in most of the
political parties in India. This is not the case In India alone, but in many
other countries as well.
3) Money and Muscle Power: Winning an election is the ultimate
challenge for a political party. For this, a political party leaves no stone
unturned and spends huge sums of money on electioneering. Parties
often take help of criminals and goons to terrorise voters and polling
officers.
4) Being a Meaningful Choice: Most of the political parties sound similar
to one another. Very few political parties give any real alternative. People
have no choice than choosing the better of the two evils. In some states,
the party in power just changes every five years but people seldom
experience change on the ground.
Way to Reform Political Parties:
Following are some of the recent efforts and suggestions in our country
to reform political parties and its leaders
1. Anti-defection Law This law was passed during Rajiv Gandhi's
premiership. The law says that if any MLA or MP changes parties, he or
she will lose the seat in the legislature. This new law has helped bring
defection down. At the same time this has made any dissent even more
difficult. MPs and MLAs have to accept whatever the party leaders
decide.(1985, 52th constitutional amendment)
2. Details of Property and Criminal Proceedings During Nomination: It is
mandatory for every candidate who contests elections to file an
AFFIDAVIT giving details of his property and criminal cases pending
against him. The new system has made a lot of information available to
the public. But there is no system of check if the information given by the
candidates is true,
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3. Mandatory Organizational Elections and 17 Returns: The Election
Commission passed an order making It is necessary for political parties
to hold their organisational elections and file their income tax returns.
The parties have started doing so but sometimes it is mere formality
Suggestions for Future:
a. A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political
parties.
b. It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum
number of tickets, about one-third, το women candidates.
c. There should be state funding of elections. The government should
give parties money to support their election expenses. This support
could be given in kind: petrol, paper, telephone etc. Or it could be given
in cash on the basis of the votes secured by the party in the last election.
There are two other ways in which political parties can be reformed and
they are;
I) people's pressure: People can put pressure on political parties,
through petitions, publicity and agitations. If political parties feel that they
would lose public support by not taking up reforms, they would become
more serious about reforms.
ii) people's participation: Political parties can improve if those who want
this join political parties. It is difficult to reform politics if ordinary citizens
do not take part in it and simply criticise it from the outside.
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