Political Parties Summary Class 10 Social Science Chapter 4

Why do we need Political Parties?

Meaning of Political Party

• A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government.

Functions of a Political Party

• Parties compete in elections. In many democracies, elections primarily occur among candidates from political parties. The selection of candidates varies among parties.
• Parties present various policies and programmes for voters to choose from. They agree on certain policies aimed at promoting the common good.
• A party simplifies a wide range of opinions into a few core positions that it supports.
• Parties are crucial in creating laws for a country.
• Parties form and manage governments. Those that do not win elections act as the opposition to the ruling parties.

How many Parties should we have?

• There are three types of party system a country can have.

One Party System

• Only one party is permitted to govern. A one-party system is not considered beneficial for democracy.

Two Party System

• Power usually changes between two main parties.

Multi-Party System

• Several parties compete for power, and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others.

Election Commission

• Every party in India has to register with the Election Commission. 
• The Commission treats every party as equal to the others, but it offers special facilities to large and established parties.
• They are given a unique symbol and are called, “recognised political parties.

State Parties

• A party that secures at least six percent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State and wins at least two seats is recognised as a State party.

National Parties

• A party that secures at least six percent of the total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four States and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognised as a national party.

Indian National Congress (INC)

• Popularly known as the Congress Party.
• Founded in 1885.
• Played a dominated role in Indian politics, at the national and state level for several decades after India’s Independence.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

• Founded in 1980 by reviving the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
• Cultural nationalism (or ‘Hindutva’) is an important element in its origination of Indian nationhood and politics.
• Wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India.

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.

Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M)

• Founded in 1964.
• Believes in Marxism- Leninism.
• Supports socialism, secularism and democracy and opposes imperialism and communalism.

Communist Party of India (CPI)

• Formed in 1925.
• Believes in Marxism-Leninism, secularism and democracy.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

• Formed in 1999 following a split in the Congress party.
• Accepted democracy, Gandhian secularism, equity, social justice and federalism.

State Parties

• Other than these six parties, most of the major parties of the country are classified by the Election Commission as ‘State parties’.

Challenges to Political Parties

• Lack of Internal Democracy
• Challenge of Dynastic Succession
• Growing Role of Money and Muscle Power
• Meaningful choice

How can Parties be reformed?

Recent efforts and suggestions in India

• Many elected representatives were switching parties for ministerial positions or cash. Now, a law states that any MLA or MP who changes parties will lose their seat. This has reduced defections but has made dissent harder, as MPs and MLAs must follow party leaders' decisions.
• The Supreme Court mandated that every election candidate must file an Affidavit detailing their property and any pending criminal cases. This has made information public, but there is no verification system to ensure its accuracy, leaving uncertainty about the impact on wealthy and criminal influence.
• The Election Commission requires political parties to conduct internal elections and file income tax returns. While parties have begun this, it often feels like a formality, and it's unclear if this has improved internal democracy.

Some suggestions to reform political parties

• A law should regulate the internal operations of political parties, requiring them to maintain a member register, adhere to their constitution, have an independent authority for dispute resolution, and conduct open elections for top positions.
• Political parties should be required to allocate at least one-third of their tickets to women candidates. Additionally, a quota for women in decision-making roles within the party should be established.
• The government could provide financial support for parties' election expenses, either in kind (like petrol and paper) or cash based on the votes received in the last election.