Political parties are the most visible institutions in a democracy, and they are the pillars of democratic politics. A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections, to hold power in the government, and to carry out the policies and programmes that the people have voted for. Political parties are essential for a democracy, as they contest elections, put forward different policies and programmes, make laws, form governments, and play the role of the opposition. Without political parties, a modern democracy cannot function.
The chapter examines the meaning and the necessity of political parties, the functions of the political parties, the party systems, the national and the regional parties in India, and the challenges faced by the political parties. The chapter also discusses the ways in which the political parties can be reformed, and the role of the political parties in the strengthening of the democracy.
For the board examination, students must understand the functions of the political parties, the difference between the national and the regional parties, the criteria for the recognition of the national and the state parties, the challenges to the political parties, and the measures for the reform of the political parties. The chapter is important for the understanding of the working of the Indian democracy.
Political parties are necessary because they are the means by which the people's will is expressed and the government is formed. In a large and complex society, the people cannot directly rule themselves, and they need representatives who will form the government and carry out the administration. The political parties put forward their candidates in the elections, and the voters choose the candidates of the party whose policies and programmes they support. The party that wins the elections forms the government, and the party or the parties that lose sit in the opposition.
The political parties also perform the important function of providing the alternatives to the people. In a democracy, the people have the choice between the different parties and their different policies, and the political parties compete for the support of the people. The political parties thus make the democracy meaningful, as they provide the people the opportunity to choose their rulers and to hold them accountable.
Without political parties, the democracy would be chaotic and unworkable. The independent candidates would win the elections, and the elected representatives would be accountable only to themselves and not to any larger group. The political parties are thus necessary for the stability and the functioning of the democracy, and they are the essential link between the government and the people.
The political parties perform several functions in a democracy. The first function is to contest elections, and the parties put up their candidates in the elections, offering the voters a choice. The second function is to put forward different policies and programmes, and the parties present their manifestos and their views on the different issues, so that the voters can choose the party whose policies they support. The third function is to make laws, as the political parties, when they form the government, make the laws for the country, and the laws are made by the ruling party or by the coalition of the parties.
The fourth function is to form and run the government, as the party that wins the elections forms the government and carries out the administration, and the party that is in the opposition plays the role of the watchdog, criticising the government and holding it accountable. The fifth function is to play the role of the opposition, as the parties that lose the elections sit in the opposition and check the working of the government. The sixth function is to shape the public opinion, as the parties raise and highlight the issues of the people and educate the voters on the different issues.
The seventh function is to provide the people the access to the government and to the welfare schemes, and the parties work as the link between the people and the government. The political parties thus perform a wide range of functions, and they are essential for the working of the democracy. The functions of the parties make them the most important institutions of the democratic politics.
The political parties in a democracy can be of different kinds, and the number of the parties in a country is determined by the social and the political conditions of the country. The party system in a country can be a single party system, in which only one party is allowed to control and run the government, and this system is not a democratic option, as it exists in the dictatorial countries. In a two-party system, the power usually changes between two main parties, and this system is followed in countries like the USA and the United Kingdom.
In a multi-party system, several parties compete for the power, and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power. The multi-party system is followed in India, and it is a very common system in the world. The multi-party system allows the representation of the different sections of the society and the different interests, and it provides the voters with the widest choice. However, the multi-party system can also lead to the instability of the government, when the political parties form the coalition governments.
In India, the era of the coalition politics began in the 1990s, when the Congress party lost its dominance and no single party could form the government on its own, and the coalitions of the parties were formed. The coalition governments are formed when no single party gets a majority in the elections, and the parties join together to form the government. The coalition politics has made the Indian party system more competitive and more representative, but it has also made the governments less stable.
In India, the political parties are recognised as the national parties and the state parties, on the basis of the criteria laid down by the Election Commission of India. A party is recognised as a national party if it secures at least six per cent of the total votes in the Lok Sabha elections or the assembly elections in four states and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha. A party is recognised as a state party if it secures at least six per cent of the total votes in an assembly election and wins at least two seats.
The national parties in India include the Indian National Congress (INC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), among others. The state parties are the parties that are active only in a particular state or the region, and they include the parties like the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the regional parties of the different states.
The national parties are the parties that have the influence in the whole country, and the state parties are the parties that have the influence in a particular state. The recognition of the parties as the national or the state parties is important, as it determines the symbols and the facilities available to the parties in the elections. The distinction between the national and the state parties is based on the electoral performance of the parties, as per the criteria of the Election Commission.
The political parties face several challenges in India and in the democracies of the world. The first challenge is the lack of the internal democracy within the parties, as the parties do not hold the regular elections for the leadership and the membership, and the power is concentrated in the hands of a few top leaders. The second challenge is the dynastic succession, in which the top positions in the parties are given to the family members of the leaders, and the people who have no merit or experience are chosen for the top posts.
The third challenge is the growing role of the money and the muscle power in the elections, as the parties spend huge amounts of money on the elections, and they often use the unfair means to win the elections. The fourth challenge is the absence of the meaningful choice for the voters, as the parties often do not offer any significant difference in their policies and their programmes, and the voters are often forced to choose between the parties that look similar. The fifth challenge is the lack of the internal democracy in the functioning of the parties, and the lack of the transparency in the funding of the parties.
The challenges to the political parties are a threat to the democracy, as the political parties are the pillars of the democratic system. The chapter stresses that the political parties need to be reformed, and that the reforms are necessary for the health of the democracy.
The reform of the political parties is essential for the strengthening of the democracy. The constitution of India was amended in 2010, and the amendment, among other things, prohibited the members of the political parties from defecting to the other parties, and it also banned the practice of the defection in some cases. The reform measures that have been suggested and implemented include the strengthening of the internal democracy within the parties, the holding of the regular elections for the leadership, the transparency in the funding of the parties, and the state funding of the elections.
The other reform measures include the introduction of the anti-defection law, which was passed in 1985, and which prevents the elected members from changing their party allegiance, the holding of the internal elections within the parties, the auditing of the accounts of the parties, and the making of the political parties more accountable and transparent. The reforms also include the promotion of the women's representation in the parties and in the legislatures.
The chapter argues that the reform of the political parties cannot be achieved only through the legal measures; it also requires the political will and the participation of the people. The ordinary citizens can pressurise the parties to reform by the use of their vote, by the participation in the politics, and by the strengthening of the civil society and the media. The chapter concludes that the political parties, as the pillars of the democracy, must be reformed for the strengthening of the Indian democracy.
| Function of Political Parties | Description |
|---|---|
| Contest elections | Parties put up candidates, offering voters a choice |
| Put forward policies | Parties present manifestos and views on issues |
| Make laws | Ruling parties and coalitions make laws |
| Form and run government | Winning party forms the government |
| Role of opposition | Losing parties check and criticise the government |
| Shape public opinion | Parties highlight issues and educate voters |
| Access to government | Parties link the people with the government |
| Type of Party | Recognition Criteria | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| National party | Six per cent of votes in Lok Sabha or assembly elections in four states and four Lok Sabha seats | INC, BJP, CPI(M), CPI, BSP, NCP |
| State party | Six per cent of votes in an assembly election and two seats | DMK, AAP, TDP and other regional parties |
Political parties are the pillars of democracy, and without them a modern democracy cannot function. They contest elections, offer choices to the voters, make laws, form governments and play the role of the opposition, and they are the essential link between the government and the people. India's multi-party system, with its national and state parties, is a vibrant and competitive party system that represents the diversity of the country. Yet the political parties face serious challenges, including the lack of internal democracy, dynastic succession, the growing role of money and muscle power, and the absence of a meaningful choice for the voters. The reform of the political parties, through legal measures, internal reform and the active participation of the citizens, is essential for the health and the future of the Indian democracy.