Chapter 6 - Political Parties

By now, you know that in the field of democratic politics, political parties act as a means for the federation to share political power and as negotiators of social divisions. In this chapter, you will explore the nature and function of political parties in our country. We have covered all the important topics of this chapter in the Vidyakul CBSE Notes for Grade 10 Political Science Chapter 6 - Political Parties. Through these notes, you will discover the national and regional political parties of India today. In addition, this chapter will help you understand what is wrong with political parties and what can be done about it.

Why do we need political parties? 

The Party is a group of people who have banded together to participate in elections and seize power in government. They agree on several policies and programs for society to promote the common good. Political parties reflect fundamental political divisions in society. Thus, a party is known by what part it supports, what policy it supports, and whose interests it advocates. A political party consists of three components.

• Leaders
• Full Members
• Followers

Functions of Political Parties
Political parties hold public office and exercise political power. Political parties do this by performing several functions:

political parties offer a variety of policies and programs, chosen by voters. Political parties play a crucial role in making laws for the country. political parties form and administer the government. The party that lost the election acts as an opposition to the ruling party, expressing different opinions and criticizing the government's failures or misguided policies.political parties shape public opinion. Parties must provide individuals with access to public facilities and social security programs administered by the government.

The Need for Political Parties

The reason why political parties are necessary is that they perform all of the functions mentioned above. Political parties also help to present different views to the government on different issues. They brought together various representatives so that a responsible government could be formed.

They work as mechanisms to support or restrain governments, to make policies, to justify or to counteract them. The political party serves the needs of all representative governments.

How many parties should there be?

In a democracy, all groups of citizens are free to form political parties. More than 750 political parties are registered with the Election Commission of India. However, not all of these parties are serious contenders in the elections. So the question is, how many large and effective political parties are good for democracy?

In some countries, only one political party can control and run the government. Such a system is called a one-way system. This system is not considered a good choice for democracy.

In some countries, there is usually a change of power between two main parties. This party system is called a two-party system. Example: US and UK.

When multiple parties are competing for power and two or more parties have a reasonable chance of gaining power, either alone or in coalition with other parties, such a system is called a multi-party system. Example: India.

In a multi-party system, multiple political parties come together to participate in elections to take power, which is called an alliance or front.

Per country, All political parties in countries must register with the National Election Commission. The Election Commission set detailed standards for the percentage of votes and the number of seats a party must receive in order to be recognized as a political party.

A party that receives at least 6% of the total number of votes cast and at least 2 seats in a state legislative election is recognized as a state party. A party that obtains at least 6% of the total vote in the Lok Sabha or 4 provincial legislative elections and at least 4 seats in the Lok Sabha is recognized as a national party.

Major Political Parties in India

In 2018, there were 7 authorized political parties in India. Below are the details of each party.

1) All India Trinamule Congress (AITC)
was Established on January 1, 1998, under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. Recognized as National Party in 2016. The symbols of the party are flowers and grass. Commitment to secularism and federalism. has been in power in West Bengal since 2011 and is stationed in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Tripura. In the general election held in 2014, it won 34 seats with 3.84% of the vote, becoming the fourth-largest party in the parliamentary seat.

2) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
Formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram. It seeks to represent and maintain the authority of Bahujan Samaj which includes Dalits, Adivasis, OBC, and religious minorities. Advocates for the interests and welfare of Dalits and the oppressed. It has its main base in Uttar Pradesh and a significant presence in neighboring states such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Punjab. Formed UP governments several times, gaining support from different parties at different times.

3) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)was Founded in 1980, Founded in 1951 by Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. It is the Ancient culture and values ​​of India, intact humanism and the national of Deendayal Upadhyaya. Cultural nationalism (or "Hindutva") is an important element in his conception of Indian statehood and politics. Before the party, which was limited to the northwest and urban areas, expanded its support to the southeast, northeast, and rural areas became the largest party in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections with 282 MPs.

4) Communist Party of India (CPI)
was Founded in 1925. Believes in Marxism-Leninism, secularism, and democracy. Against separatist and communist forces. Adopts parliamentary democracy as a means of advancing the interests of the working class, peasantry, and poor. Significant presence in Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, she received less than 1% of the vote and 1 seat.

5) Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M)Founded in 1964. I believe in Marxism-Leninism. It supports socialism, secularism, and democracy, and opposes imperialism and communism. Recognizes democratic elections as a useful and beneficial means for achieving the goals of social and economic justice in India. Strong support from West Bengal, Kerala, and Tripura. In, the Tang took power in West Bengal for 34 years without interruption. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, she won around 3% of the vote and 9 seats.6) Indian National Congress (INC)Popularly known as the Congress Party. It is one of the oldest parties in the world. Founded in 1885, it has gone through many divisions. Under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, the party sought to establish a modern secular democratic republic in India. The ruling party centralized until 1977 and from 1980 to 1989 Although his support has waned since 1989, he still has a national presence. The main idea of ​​the Party is to promote secularism and the welfare of the weak and minorities.7) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)was Formed in 1999 after a split in the Congress Party,supports democracy, Gandhi secularism, justice, social justice, and federalism. It is a large party in Maharashtra and has an important presence in Meghalaya, Manipur, and Assam.

Participating States 

The National Election Commission has classified some of the country's major political parties as "parties". Also known as local political parties

• Biju Janata Dal
• Sikkim Democratic Front
• Mizo National Front
• Telangana Rashtra Samiti
  
  The map below shows the regional political parties in India (as of 13 April 2018).

Challenges to political parties

Public dissatisfaction and criticism focused on four problematic areas of party work. Lack of internal democracy within the party. Political parties do not maintain lists of members, do not hold organizational meetings, and do not hold regular internal elections. Since most political parties do not follow open and transparent procedures for their activities, ordinary workers have little opportunity to rise in the party. In many political parties, senior positions are always controlled by members of the same family. The third issue has to do with the growing role of money and power in political parties, particularly during elections. Parties tend to take shortcuts to win elections because they focus exclusively on winning elections. In some cases, political parties support criminals who can win elections. People don't consider political parties as important to vote on. Sometimes people can't even elect very different leaders because the same group of leaders keeps moving from one party to another.

How can political parties be reorganized?

Explore recent efforts and proposals to reform political parties and their leaders in India. Some efforts include:

The Constitution amended to prohibit elected MLAs and deputies from changing parties. The Supreme Court ruled to reduce the influence of money and criminals. All candidates participating in elections are now required to submit statements with detailed information about their assets and criminal cases. The Election Commission issued an order for political parties to hold organized elections and to file income tax returns. These proposals have not yet been accepted by political parties. It is necessary to enact laws governing the internal affairs of political parties. Political parties should be required to provide at least one-third of the vote to female candidates. Likewise, there should be a quota for women in party leadership. Must have public funds for elections. The government should give political parties money to cover election expenses. There are two more ways to reform the party. People can put pressure on political parties. This can be done through petitions, advertisements, and campaigns. Political parties can develop when those who want change join a political party. Politics is difficult to reform if ordinary citizens do not participate and criticize it from the outside.

Frequently asked Questions on CBSE Class 10 

What are the functions of political parties?

1. Contest elections

2. Introduce programs and policies for the welfare of the public

3. Take legislative decisions and execute them legally

How many political parties are there in India?

The Election Commission of India recorded a count of 2858 political parties all over India in September 2021.

What is the minimum age in India to join a political party?

A person should be of a minimum age of 25 years to be a part of any political party in India.