Political Science - Chapter - 4- Political Parties -Notes

Why Do We Need Political Parties?

  • Essential in Democracy:
    • Political parties are vital institutions in a democracy, and for many citizens, they are synonymous with democracy itself.
  • Widespread Awareness:
    • Even in remote areas, where people may not be well-informed about the constitution or government, they often have some knowledge of political parties.
  • Criticism and Division:
    • Despite their visibility, political parties are often criticized for various issues and have become associated with societal and political divisions.
  • Global Prevalence:
    • Political parties have become almost universal in democratic countries over the last century. Few democracies exist today without political parties.
  • Lack of Accountability for National Governance:
    • In a party-less system, elected representatives would be accountable only at the local level, with no one overseeing national governance.
  • Connection to Representative Democracies:
    • The rise of political parties is closely tied to the evolution of representative democracies. Large, complex societies require representative democracy to function effectively.
  • Creating Responsible Governments:
    • Political parties serve as a mechanism to bring together various representatives, enabling the formation of responsible governments.
  • Essential for Democracy:
    • Political parties are a fundamental requirement for the functioning of a democracy, as they fulfill the essential needs of any representative government.

Definition of Political Parties

A political party is a group of individuals who come together with the aim of contesting elections and acquiring governmental power. They agree on policies and programs intended to benefit society as a whole.

Purpose of Political Parties

  • Persuading the Public:
    • Parties seek to persuade people why their policies are superior to others, striving to win popular support through elections.
  • Reflecting Divisions:
    • Political parties reflect fundamental political divisions in a society, representing specific sections, policies, and interests.
  • Components:
    • A political party consists of -
      • Leaders
      • Active members
      • Followers.

Functions of Political Parties:

  • Contesting Elections:
    • Parties participate in elections, with candidates mainly representing their respective parties. The method of candidate selection varies across countries.
  • Policy Formulation:
    • In a diverse society with numerous opinions, parties consolidate a wide range of views into a few fundamental positions, guiding government policy.
  • Legislative Role:
    • Parties play a significant role in crafting and passing laws, as members of the legislature largely adhere to the party's direction, irrespective of their personal views.
  • Forming and Running Governments:
    • Parties are responsible for forming and running governments. They recruit and train leaders, who become ministers and shape government policies.
  • Opposition Role:
    • Parties that lose elections assume the role of the opposition, critiquing the ruling party's actions and advocating different viewpoints.
  • Influencing Public Opinion:
    • Political parties raise and emphasize issues, with their extensive membership and activists contributing to shaping public opinion. Pressure groups often align with parties.
  • Mobilizing Movements:
    • Parties sometimes initiate movements to address societal problems, and public opinions often align with the stances taken by parties.
  • Access to Government Services:
    • Parties provide citizens with access to government machinery and welfare schemes. Local party leaders are often more approachable than government officials.
  • Responsiveness to People:
    • Parties must be responsive to the needs and demands of the people to maintain their support, as citizens can reject parties in the next elections if they fail to meet these expectations.

How many parties should we have?

  • Freedom to Form Parties:
    • In a democracy, any group of citizens has the freedom to create a political party.
    • Over 750 political parties are officially registered with the Election Commission of India.
  • Effective Parties:
    • Typically, only a handful of parties are genuinely competitive in elections, aiming to win and form the government. This raises the question of how many major or effective parties are ideal for a democracy.

Types of Party System

  • One-Party Systems:
    • In some countries, only one party is permitted to govern, known as one-party systems. This restricts free competition and is undemocratic, as it doesn't allow genuine political choice. Example : China, Cuba, North Korea etc.
  • Two-Party Systems:
    • In certain nations, power alternates between two main parties. While other parties may exist and contest elections, the two main parties have the best chance of gaining a majority to form a government. This is referred to as a two-party system, example : United States, Canada and United Kingdom etc
  • Multiparty Systems:
    • A multiparty system involves several parties competing for power, with more than two parties having a reasonable chance of coming to power independently or in alliances. India, for instance, has a multiparty system where coalition governments are common.
  • Alliances or Fronts:
    • In a multiparty system, political parties often form alliances or fronts to contest elections and secure power collectively. For example, India had major alliances in the 2004 parliamentary elections - the National Democratic Alliance, the United Progressive Alliance, and the Left Front.
  • Complexity vs. Representation: Multiparty systems may appear chaotic and lead to political instability. Nevertheless, they allow diverse interests and opinions to find political representation.
  • No One-Size-Fits-All: The choice of a party system is not something a country can simply decide. It evolves over time based on a society's characteristics, including its social divisions, regional diversity, political history, and electoral system.
  • Unique Circumstances: Each country develops a party system tailored to its specific circumstances. For instance, India's multiparty system is a response to its vast size and complex social makeup.
  • No Universal Ideal: There is no universally ideal party system for all countries and situations. The best-suited system depends on a nation's unique characteristics and context.

Public involvement in political parties

  • People often claim that political parties are in a state of crisis due to their unpopularity and citizen apathy. However, the available evidence from extensive surveys conducted over many decades in India indicates that:
  • In South Asia, people generally have low levels of trust in political parties. This holds true for most other democracies too.
  • Political parties are among the least trusted institutions worldwide.
  • However, despite this low trust, many people actively participated in political parties.
  • In India, a larger percentage of individuals claimed to be members of a political party compared to several advanced countries such as Canada, Japan, Spain, and South Korea.
  • In the last thirty years, more and more people in India have been saying they are members of political parties. The number of individuals who express a 'strong connection with a political party' has also been on the rise during this time in India.

National Parties in India

  • In democracies with a federal system worldwide, typically, two types of political parties emerge: those that operate solely within individual federal units and those that have a presence across multiple or all units of the federation. India follows this pattern.
  • Every political party in the country must register with the Election Commission.
  • While the Commission treats all parties equally, it provides certain privileges to larger and well-established parties.
  • One of these privileges is the allocation of a unique election symbol, which can only be used by the official candidates of that specific party.
  • Parties that receive these privileges and additional special facilities are officially designated as 'recognized political parties' by the Election Commission.
  • The Election Commission has established specific criteria that determine the proportion of votes and seats a party must attain to achieve this recognized status.

In our country, there are two main types of political parties: national parties and state parties.

National Party

  • A party attains recognition as a national party by obtaining at least 6% percent of the total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in 4 States, coupled with winning a minimum of 4 seats in the Lok Sabha.
  • These parties operate on a countrywide scale and have branches in various states. Generally, these state units align with the policies, programs, and strategies established at the national level.

State Party

  • A party attains recognition as a State party if it secures at least 6% of the total votes in a State Legislative Assembly election and wins a minimum of 2 seats.

National Parties in India

There were seven officially recognized national parties in the country in 2019. Some details about these parties are:


Name of Party

Symbal

Description

All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)

The party's symbol is represented by flowers and grass.

  • Founded on January 1, 1998, under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee.
  • It gained recognition as a national party in 2016.
  • AITC is dedicated to upholding principles of secularism and federalism.
  • It has held power in West Bengal since 2011 and also maintains a presence in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Tripura.
  • In the 2019 General Elections, the party secured 4.07 percent of the votes and won 22 seats, making it the fourth-largest party in the Lok Sabha.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)

The party's symbol is represented by an elephant.

  • Founded on 1984, under the leadership of Kashi Ram.
  • The BSP aims to represent and empower the 'bahujan samaj,' which includes dalits, adivasis, OBCs, and religious minorities.
  • It draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Sahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Periyar Ramaswami Naicker, and Babasaheb Ambedkar.
  • It has held power in Uttar Pradesh and also maintains a presence in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Punjab.
  • In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BSP garnered approximately 3.67 % of the votes and secured 10 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

The party's symbol is represented by a Lotus flower.

  • Founded in 1980, originally from the Bharatiya Jana Sangh established in 1951.
  • Aims to build a strong and modern India, drawing inspiration from ancient culture and values, with a focus on Deendayal Upadhyaya's ideas of integral humanism and Antyodaya.
  • Embraces cultural nationalism ('Hindutva') as a key aspect of Indian nationhood.
  • Advocates for the full integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India, a uniform civil code for all citizens, and a ban on religious conversions.
  • Grew its support base from northern and western regions to include southern, eastern, and northeastern areas, as well as rural regions.
  • Came to power in 1998 as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and secured a significant victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
  • Currently leads the ruling NDA government at the Centre.

Communist Party of India (CPI)

The party's symbol is represented by a Baal-Darati.

  • Founded in 1925, follows Marxism-Leninism, secularism, and democracy.
  • Advocates the unity of all left parties to form a robust left front.
  • Opposed to secessionism and communalism, supports parliamentary democracy to advance the interests of the working class, farmers, and the poor.
  • Weakened after a 1964 split that led to the formation of the CPI(M).
  • Strong presence in states like Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
  • Its support has gradually waned over time, receiving less than 1 percent of the votes and securing 2 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M)

  • Founded in 1964, follows Marxism-Leninism, secularism, and democracy.
  • Opposes imperialism and communalism, and supports democratic elections as a means to achieve socio-economic justice in India.
  • Has strong support in West Bengal, Kerala, and Tripura, particularly among the marginalized, factory workers, farmers, agricultural laborers, and the intelligentsia.
  • In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, secured approximately 1.75 percent of votes and won 3 seats.
  • Held power continuously in West Bengal for 34 years.

Indian National Congress (INC)



  • Founded in 1885, one of the world's oldest parties.
  • Played a dominant role in Indian politics at both the national and state levels for several decades following Independence.
  • Led by Jawaharlal Nehru, aimed to establish a modern, secular, and democratic republic in India.
  • Ruled at the center until 1977 and again from 1980 to 1989.
  • Support declined after 1989, but it remains active nationwide, transcending social divisions.
  • A centrist party with a focus on secularism and the welfare of weaker sections and minorities.
  • Supports new economic reforms with a human-centric approach.
  • Led the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from 2004 to 2019.
  • In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, secured 19.5 percent of the votes and won 52 seats.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

 


  • Established in 1999 after a split from the Congress party.
  • Advocates democracy, Gandhian secularism, equity, social justice, and federalism.
  • Proposes that high government offices should be held by natural-born citizens.
  • Holds a prominent position in Maharashtra and has notable presence in Meghalaya, Manipur, and Assam.
  • Forms a coalition with the Congress in the state of Maharashtra.
  • A member of the United Progressive Alliance since 2004.
  • In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it garnered 1.4 percent of the votes and secured 5 seats.


State Parties in India

  • Some of state parties have a much broader reach. Example- Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal. They may sound regional, but they have branches in many states.
  • Some parties like Biju Janata Dal, Sikkim Democratic Front, Mizo National Front, and Telangana Rashtra Samithi are quite keen on representing and preserving their state's identity.
  • Over the past three decades, state parties have been on the rise. This has made the Indian Parliament more diverse when it comes to political representation.
  • Until 2014, no single national party could win enough seats in the Lok Sabha to have a majority. They teamed up with state parties to form alliances.
  • Starting from 1996, almost every state party has had a chance to be part of one national coalition government or another. This has actually been pretty good for our country's system of federalism and democracy. It's like a balancing act that helps keep things running smoothly.

Difficulties Faced by Political Parties

  • Lack of Internal Democracy:
    • Political parties are very important in democracy. People often blame them when things go wrong in the democratic system.
    • One major problem is that many political parties don't have internal democracy. This means that a few leaders at the top hold most of the power. They don't keep records of their members, hold meetings, or have regular elections.
    • Ordinary party members don't get enough information about what happens inside the party. They can't influence decisions.
    • Because of this, the leaders have a lot of power and can make decisions without much input from others. If someone disagrees with the leader, it's hard for them to stay in the party. Loyalty to the leader becomes more important than loyalty to the party's principles.
  • Dynastic Succession:
    • This problem is connected to the first one. Since many parties don't have clear and open procedures for how they work, it's tough for regular party workers to move up in the party.
    • Leaders often favor people close to them or even their family members. In some parties, the top positions are always controlled by members of one family. This isn't fair to other party members.
    • It's also not good for democracy because people without much experience or support can end up in powerful positions. This happens in some older democracies too.
  • Role of Money and Muscle Power:
    • During elections, parties are mainly focused on winning. This can lead them to use shortcuts to secure victories.
    • They often choose candidates who have a lot of money or can raise a lot of money. Wealthy individuals and companies that fund parties can have a big say in the party's decisions.
    • Sometimes, parties support criminals who they think can win elections. This is a concern for democracies worldwide, as it can give undue influence to rich people and big companies.
  • Lack of Meaningful Choices:
    • For a democracy to work well, political parties must offer voters real choices. This means parties should be different from each other in significant ways.
    • However, in recent years, many parties around the world have become more similar in their policies. For example, in some places, the differences between major parties are quite small.
    • In our country too, the differences between major parties on economic policies have decreased. This can be frustrating for people who want real alternatives.
    • Sometimes, people can't even choose very different leaders because the same group of leaders moves from one party to another.

So we can say political parties in democracy face challenges like a lack of internal democracy, dynastic succession, the influence of money and power, and a lack of meaningful choices for voters. Addressing these challenges is important to ensure a healthy democratic system.

How can Political Parties Undergo Reform?

  • Challenges in Reforming Political Parties:
    • Political parties face several problems, and to address these problems, they need to change and improve themselves.
    • In a democracy, the leaders who represent political parties make the final decisions. People can replace these leaders, but only with another set of party leaders. So, if they all resist reform, it's challenging to make them change.
  • Efforts to Reform Political Parties in India:
    • In India, there have been some recent efforts and suggestions to reform political parties and their leaders.
    • The Constitution was amended to prevent elected representatives (MLAs and MPs) from switching parties easily. This was done to stop defections for personal gain. Now, if an MLA or MP changes parties, they lose their legislative seat. This law reduced defections but also made dissent within parties more difficult.
    • The Supreme Court ordered candidates to disclose their property and any pending criminal cases in an affidavit when contesting elections. This increased transparency, but there's no system to verify the accuracy of this information.
    • The Election Commission made it compulsory for political parties to hold organizational elections and file income tax returns. While parties have started doing this, it sometimes appears to be a formality. It's unclear if this has improved internal democracy within parties.
  • Suggestions for Reforming Political Parties:
    • Create a law to regulate the internal affairs of political parties. This law would require parties to maintain a membership register, follow their own rules, have an independent authority to resolve disputes, and conduct open elections for top positions.
    • Mandate that a certain percentage of party tickets be given to women candidates. Similarly, ensure a quota for women in the party's decision-making bodies.
    • Introduce state funding for elections. The government would provide financial support to parties for their election expenses, either in kind or based on their past election performance.
    • However, these suggestions have not been accepted by political parties yet. The fear is that too many regulations could lead parties to find ways to bypass the law.
  • Reforms through Public Pressure and Participation:
    • There are two other ways to reform political parties.
    • First, people can exert pressure on political parties through petitions, public awareness campaigns, and protests. Ordinary citizens, advocacy groups, movements, and the media can all play a role in this.
      • If political parties realize that they might lose public support by not embracing reforms, they may become more willing to change.
    • Second, political parties can improve if individuals who want change join them. The quality of democracy depends on the level of public participation. Reforms in politics are difficult if citizens only criticize from the outside. To address the problem of bad politics, more people should actively engage in politics and work towards better practices.

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