Details — Political Parties

Book: Democratic Politics II (Class 10)
Chapter: 4 — Political Parties

1. Why Parties Matter (and Why People Distrust Them)

Parties are highly visible; many citizens know parties better than the Constitution. Yet parties are often unpopular and blamed for divisions. About a hundred years ago few countries had parties; now few democracies lack them.

Partisan: Strongly committed to a party/group; tendency to take a side; difficulty taking a balanced view.

2. Meaning and Components

Political party: A group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in government. They agree on policies/programmes to promote collective good; persuade voters; seek to implement policies by winning elections.

Parties reflect fundamental political divisions; a party is known by which part it stands for, which policies it supports, whose interests it upholds.

Three components: leaders; active members; followers.

3. Functions of Political Parties

Contest elections — candidates mostly party-backed; USA: members/supporters often choose candidates; India: top leaders often choose.
Put forward policies/programmes — reduce multitude of opinions into basic positions; ruling party’s line guides government policy.
Play decisive role in making laws — legislators usually follow party leadership.
Form and run governments — recruit/train leaders; make ministers.
Play opposition — criticise failures/wrong policies; mobilise opposition.
Shape public opinion — raise issues; activists nationwide; pressure groups often party extensions; launch movements; opinions crystallise along party lines.
Provide access to government machinery and welfare schemes — easier to approach local party leader than officer; must stay responsive or lose elections.

Ruling party: Party that runs government.

4. Necessity of Parties

Imagine no parties: all independents → no major policy promises; government utility uncertain; representatives accountable only locally, no one responsible for running the country.

Non-party panchayat elections still produce factions and “panels”—party-like behaviour.

Parties linked to rise of representative democracies. Large complex societies need agencies to gather views, form responsible government, support/restrain government. Parties are a necessary condition for a democracy.

5. How Many Parties?

750 parties registered with Election Commission of India; only handful serious contenders.

System	Meaning	Examples / Notes
One-party	Only one party allowed to control government	China (Communist Party); not a good democratic option—need at least two competing parties with fair chance
Two-party	Power usually changes between two main parties	USA, UK
Multiparty	Several parties; more than two have reasonable chance alone or in alliance	India; often coalitions; may look messy/unstable but represents variety of interests

Alliance/front: Several parties join to contest and win power (e.g. 2004: NDA, UPA, Left Front).

Party system is not chosen freely; it evolves with society, divisions, political history, electoral system. India’s multiparty system fits vast social and geographical diversity that two/three parties cannot easily absorb. No system ideal for all countries.

6. Trust vs Participation (South Asia / India evidence)

Parties not much trusted in South Asia (and least trusted institutions worldwide).
Yet party participation fairly high; India membership higher than Canada, Japan, Spain, South Korea.
Over last three decades in India: party membership and feeling “close to a party” have risen.

7. National and State Parties

Federal democracies tend to have parties present in one unit vs several/all units.

Recognised parties: EC gives unique symbol and facilities to large established parties based on votes/seats criteria.

Recognition	Criteria (as in book)
State party	≥6% votes in State Assembly election and ≥2 seats
National party	≥6% votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four States and ≥4 Lok Sabha seats

As per EC notification 2023, book states six recognised national parties. Parties described:

National parties (profiles from book)

Party	Key points from text
AAP	Formed 26 Nov 2012 after 2011 anti-corruption movement; accountability, clean admin, transparency, good governance; govts in Punjab & Delhi; 1 Lok Sabha seat (2019)
BSP	1984, Kanshi Ram; bahujan samaj (dalits, adivasis, OBCs, religious minorities); inspired by Sahu Maharaj, Phule, Periyar, Ambedkar; base UP + neighbours; 2019: ~3.63% votes, 10 seats
BJP	1980 revival of Jana Sangh (Syama Prasad Mukherjee, 1951); integral humanism, Antyodaya; cultural nationalism/Hindutva; UCC, full J&K integration, ban on religious conversions; NDA leader; 2019: 303 seats; leads ruling NDA
CPI(M)	1964; Marxism-Leninism; socialism, secularism, democracy; opposes imperialism & communalism; strong in WB, Kerala, Tripura; 34 years continuous power in WB; 2019: ~1.75% votes, 3 seats
INC	Founded 1885; Nehru’s modern secular democratic republic; dominant decades; centrist; secularism, weaker sections/minorities; reforms with human face; UPA 2004–2019; 2019: 19.5% votes, 52 seats
NPP	July 2013, P.A. Sangma; first NE party to become national; diversity & region-specific development; education, employment, empowerment; Meghalaya govt; 2019: 1 seat

Note: The book also says “Other than these seven parties…” when introducing State parties—an internal wording inconsistency. Use the explicit six (2023) figure and the six profiles above unless an exam paper specifies otherwise.

State / regional parties

EC-classified State parties; not always regional in ideology.
Examples named: Samajwadi Party, RJD (national organisation, state success); Biju Janata Dal, Sikkim Democratic Front, Mizo National Front, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (State identity).
Last three decades: number/strength expanded → Parliament more diverse.
Until 2014, no national party alone secured Lok Sabha majority → alliances with State parties.
Since 1996, nearly every State party joined some national coalition → strengthened federalism and democracy.

8. Four Challenges

Lack of internal democracy — power concentrated at top; no regular membership registers/meetings/internal elections; ordinary members lack influence; personal loyalty to leader over principles.
Dynastic succession — unfair family control of top posts; inexperienced/unsupported people in power; worldwide tendency.
Money and muscle power — nominate rich candidates; donors influence policy; sometimes support criminals who can win.
Meaningful choice — ideological differences decline (e.g. Labour vs Conservative in Britain; economic policy convergence in India); same leaders shift parties.

9. Reforms

Already tried

Measure	Content	Limit
Anti-defection (constitutional amendment)	MLA/MP changing party loses seat	Reduced defection; also made dissent harder
Supreme Court — affidavits	Candidates must declare property & criminal cases	Info public; no system to verify truth; unclear if influence of rich/criminals fell
Election Commission order	Organisational elections + income tax returns	Often formality; unclear if internal democracy improved

Defection: Changing party allegiance from the party on which elected.
Affidavit: Signed sworn statement of personal information to an officer.

Suggestions not yet accepted

Law regulating internal affairs (membership register, party constitution, independent dispute authority, open elections to top posts)
Mandatory ~one-third tickets to women + women quota in party decision bodies
State funding of elections (kind or cash based on last votes)

Caution: Over-regulation can be counter-productive; parties may cheat; parties won’t pass laws they dislike.

Two other paths

Public pressure — petitions, publicity, agitations; media, movements, citizens.
Join parties — quality of democracy depends on participation; bad politics solved by more and better politics.

Exam Gold Lines

Parties necessary condition for democracy.
Multiparty India ↔ social/geographic diversity.
State parties in coalitions ↔ federalism strengthened.
Four challenges + three implemented reforms + further suggestions.