Notes: Party System in India | Political Science & International Relations: Mains Optional - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


Political Parties:
• Sartori (1976, p. 63) defines a political party as ‘any political group identified by an 
official label that presents at elections, and is capable of placing through elections 
candidates for public office’.
• Unlike interest groups, which seek influence only, serious parties aim to secure the 
levers of government. In Weber’s phrase, parties live ‘in a house of power’.
• Political parties are one of the most important institutions of modern Democracy. 
However, a precise definition remains a matter of debate. However there may be 
certain key elements of political parties:
1.Objective of the political Parties- that is  to gain control of governmental power by 
occupying public offices
2.Methods employed for the same- nominations,, elections
3.Competition- Idea of contesting elections but there is the question regarding free 
and fair elections
4.Autonomous group of citizens (problematic when it comes to one party rule)
5.Some level of Coherence among the citizens that allows them to coordinate their 
actions and maintain their identity over time.
Page 2


Political Parties:
• Sartori (1976, p. 63) defines a political party as ‘any political group identified by an 
official label that presents at elections, and is capable of placing through elections 
candidates for public office’.
• Unlike interest groups, which seek influence only, serious parties aim to secure the 
levers of government. In Weber’s phrase, parties live ‘in a house of power’.
• Political parties are one of the most important institutions of modern Democracy. 
However, a precise definition remains a matter of debate. However there may be 
certain key elements of political parties:
1.Objective of the political Parties- that is  to gain control of governmental power by 
occupying public offices
2.Methods employed for the same- nominations,, elections
3.Competition- Idea of contesting elections but there is the question regarding free 
and fair elections
4.Autonomous group of citizens (problematic when it comes to one party rule)
5.Some level of Coherence among the citizens that allows them to coordinate their 
actions and maintain their identity over time.
• Rod Hague writes how in Western Europe, mass parties battled for the votes of 
enlarged electorates. In communist and fascist states, ruling parties monopolized 
power in an attempt to reconstruct society. 
• In the developing world, nationalist parties became the vehicle for driving colonial 
rulers back to their imperial homeland. The mass party proved to be the key 
mobilizing device in the politics of the twentieth century.
• A major development post which has sown roots in India as well is the rise of ‘catch-
all’ parties. The term was first used by Kircheimer to refer to parties that seek 
electoral support wherever they can find it; their purpose is not to represent but to 
govern. Interlinking the State and society, political parties continue to perform 4 main 
functions:
1. Ruling parties offer direction to government, performing the vital task of steering 
the ship of state.
2. Parties function as agents of political recruitment.
3. Parties serve as agents of interest aggregation. They filter a multitude of specific 
demands into more manageable packages of proposals. Parties select, reduce and 
combine policies.
4. To a declining extent, political parties also serve as a brand for their supporters and 
voters, giving people a lens through which to interpret a complicated political world.
Page 3


Political Parties:
• Sartori (1976, p. 63) defines a political party as ‘any political group identified by an 
official label that presents at elections, and is capable of placing through elections 
candidates for public office’.
• Unlike interest groups, which seek influence only, serious parties aim to secure the 
levers of government. In Weber’s phrase, parties live ‘in a house of power’.
• Political parties are one of the most important institutions of modern Democracy. 
However, a precise definition remains a matter of debate. However there may be 
certain key elements of political parties:
1.Objective of the political Parties- that is  to gain control of governmental power by 
occupying public offices
2.Methods employed for the same- nominations,, elections
3.Competition- Idea of contesting elections but there is the question regarding free 
and fair elections
4.Autonomous group of citizens (problematic when it comes to one party rule)
5.Some level of Coherence among the citizens that allows them to coordinate their 
actions and maintain their identity over time.
• Rod Hague writes how in Western Europe, mass parties battled for the votes of 
enlarged electorates. In communist and fascist states, ruling parties monopolized 
power in an attempt to reconstruct society. 
• In the developing world, nationalist parties became the vehicle for driving colonial 
rulers back to their imperial homeland. The mass party proved to be the key 
mobilizing device in the politics of the twentieth century.
• A major development post which has sown roots in India as well is the rise of ‘catch-
all’ parties. The term was first used by Kircheimer to refer to parties that seek 
electoral support wherever they can find it; their purpose is not to represent but to 
govern. Interlinking the State and society, political parties continue to perform 4 main 
functions:
1. Ruling parties offer direction to government, performing the vital task of steering 
the ship of state.
2. Parties function as agents of political recruitment.
3. Parties serve as agents of interest aggregation. They filter a multitude of specific 
demands into more manageable packages of proposals. Parties select, reduce and 
combine policies.
4. To a declining extent, political parties also serve as a brand for their supporters and 
voters, giving people a lens through which to interpret a complicated political world.
Party system in India:
• The historical evolution of political parties in India revolves around the advent of 
colonisation. While a number of associations existed since the turn of 19
th
century, it 
was the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885 that was a concrete step 
towards emergence of parties in India. 
• Like other developing countries, while the nationalist theme was the dominant 
objective here, other aspects were explored by various parties such as the Muslim 
League, Hindu Mahasabha etc looking at the interests of specific communities while 
also looking at political autonomy in different manner and scope. 
• India since then has evolved a multi-party system. The Indian party system has  
emerged as an anomaly to Duverger’s law. The law claims that plurality-rule 
elections (such as first past the post) structured within single-member districts tend 
to favor a two-party system, whereas "the double ballot majority system and 
proportional representation tend to favor multipartism.”
• While a larger coalition system has emerged of two competitors, these alliances are 
shifting not enjoying the kind of coherence that parties do. 
Page 4


Political Parties:
• Sartori (1976, p. 63) defines a political party as ‘any political group identified by an 
official label that presents at elections, and is capable of placing through elections 
candidates for public office’.
• Unlike interest groups, which seek influence only, serious parties aim to secure the 
levers of government. In Weber’s phrase, parties live ‘in a house of power’.
• Political parties are one of the most important institutions of modern Democracy. 
However, a precise definition remains a matter of debate. However there may be 
certain key elements of political parties:
1.Objective of the political Parties- that is  to gain control of governmental power by 
occupying public offices
2.Methods employed for the same- nominations,, elections
3.Competition- Idea of contesting elections but there is the question regarding free 
and fair elections
4.Autonomous group of citizens (problematic when it comes to one party rule)
5.Some level of Coherence among the citizens that allows them to coordinate their 
actions and maintain their identity over time.
• Rod Hague writes how in Western Europe, mass parties battled for the votes of 
enlarged electorates. In communist and fascist states, ruling parties monopolized 
power in an attempt to reconstruct society. 
• In the developing world, nationalist parties became the vehicle for driving colonial 
rulers back to their imperial homeland. The mass party proved to be the key 
mobilizing device in the politics of the twentieth century.
• A major development post which has sown roots in India as well is the rise of ‘catch-
all’ parties. The term was first used by Kircheimer to refer to parties that seek 
electoral support wherever they can find it; their purpose is not to represent but to 
govern. Interlinking the State and society, political parties continue to perform 4 main 
functions:
1. Ruling parties offer direction to government, performing the vital task of steering 
the ship of state.
2. Parties function as agents of political recruitment.
3. Parties serve as agents of interest aggregation. They filter a multitude of specific 
demands into more manageable packages of proposals. Parties select, reduce and 
combine policies.
4. To a declining extent, political parties also serve as a brand for their supporters and 
voters, giving people a lens through which to interpret a complicated political world.
Party system in India:
• The historical evolution of political parties in India revolves around the advent of 
colonisation. While a number of associations existed since the turn of 19
th
century, it 
was the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885 that was a concrete step 
towards emergence of parties in India. 
• Like other developing countries, while the nationalist theme was the dominant 
objective here, other aspects were explored by various parties such as the Muslim 
League, Hindu Mahasabha etc looking at the interests of specific communities while 
also looking at political autonomy in different manner and scope. 
• India since then has evolved a multi-party system. The Indian party system has  
emerged as an anomaly to Duverger’s law. The law claims that plurality-rule 
elections (such as first past the post) structured within single-member districts tend 
to favor a two-party system, whereas "the double ballot majority system and 
proportional representation tend to favor multipartism.”
• While a larger coalition system has emerged of two competitors, these alliances are 
shifting not enjoying the kind of coherence that parties do. 
Registration of Parties:
• The Election Commission registers political parties for the purpose of elections and grants them 
recognition as national or state parties on the basis of their poll performance. The other parties are 
simply declared as registered-unrecognised parties. There are 7 national parties, 58 state parties and 
1600 registered parties. 
• The recognition granted by the Commission to the parties determines their right to certain privileges 
like allocation of the party symbols, provision of time for political broadcasts on the state-owned 
television and radio stations and access to electoral rolls.
• Conditions for Recognition as a National Party
1. Secure at least 6% of the valid vote in an Assembly or a Lok Sabha General Election in any four or 
more states and won at least 4 seats in a Lok Sabha General Election from any State or States
2. Win at least 2% of the total Lok Sabha seats in a Lok Sabha General Election and these seats have 
to be won from at least 3 states
3. The party is recognized as a State Party in at least four states
• Conditions for Recognition as a State Party
1. Secure at least 6% of the valid vote & win at least 2 seats in an Assembly General Election
2. Secure at least 6% of the valid vote & win at least 1 seats in a Lok Sabha General Election
3. Win at least 3% of the seats or at least 3 seats , whichever is more, in an Assembly General 
Election
4. Win at least 1 out of every 25 seats from a state in a Lok Sabha General Election
5. Secure at least 8% of the total valid vote in an Assembly or a Lok Sabha General Election
Page 5


Political Parties:
• Sartori (1976, p. 63) defines a political party as ‘any political group identified by an 
official label that presents at elections, and is capable of placing through elections 
candidates for public office’.
• Unlike interest groups, which seek influence only, serious parties aim to secure the 
levers of government. In Weber’s phrase, parties live ‘in a house of power’.
• Political parties are one of the most important institutions of modern Democracy. 
However, a precise definition remains a matter of debate. However there may be 
certain key elements of political parties:
1.Objective of the political Parties- that is  to gain control of governmental power by 
occupying public offices
2.Methods employed for the same- nominations,, elections
3.Competition- Idea of contesting elections but there is the question regarding free 
and fair elections
4.Autonomous group of citizens (problematic when it comes to one party rule)
5.Some level of Coherence among the citizens that allows them to coordinate their 
actions and maintain their identity over time.
• Rod Hague writes how in Western Europe, mass parties battled for the votes of 
enlarged electorates. In communist and fascist states, ruling parties monopolized 
power in an attempt to reconstruct society. 
• In the developing world, nationalist parties became the vehicle for driving colonial 
rulers back to their imperial homeland. The mass party proved to be the key 
mobilizing device in the politics of the twentieth century.
• A major development post which has sown roots in India as well is the rise of ‘catch-
all’ parties. The term was first used by Kircheimer to refer to parties that seek 
electoral support wherever they can find it; their purpose is not to represent but to 
govern. Interlinking the State and society, political parties continue to perform 4 main 
functions:
1. Ruling parties offer direction to government, performing the vital task of steering 
the ship of state.
2. Parties function as agents of political recruitment.
3. Parties serve as agents of interest aggregation. They filter a multitude of specific 
demands into more manageable packages of proposals. Parties select, reduce and 
combine policies.
4. To a declining extent, political parties also serve as a brand for their supporters and 
voters, giving people a lens through which to interpret a complicated political world.
Party system in India:
• The historical evolution of political parties in India revolves around the advent of 
colonisation. While a number of associations existed since the turn of 19
th
century, it 
was the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885 that was a concrete step 
towards emergence of parties in India. 
• Like other developing countries, while the nationalist theme was the dominant 
objective here, other aspects were explored by various parties such as the Muslim 
League, Hindu Mahasabha etc looking at the interests of specific communities while 
also looking at political autonomy in different manner and scope. 
• India since then has evolved a multi-party system. The Indian party system has  
emerged as an anomaly to Duverger’s law. The law claims that plurality-rule 
elections (such as first past the post) structured within single-member districts tend 
to favor a two-party system, whereas "the double ballot majority system and 
proportional representation tend to favor multipartism.”
• While a larger coalition system has emerged of two competitors, these alliances are 
shifting not enjoying the kind of coherence that parties do. 
Registration of Parties:
• The Election Commission registers political parties for the purpose of elections and grants them 
recognition as national or state parties on the basis of their poll performance. The other parties are 
simply declared as registered-unrecognised parties. There are 7 national parties, 58 state parties and 
1600 registered parties. 
• The recognition granted by the Commission to the parties determines their right to certain privileges 
like allocation of the party symbols, provision of time for political broadcasts on the state-owned 
television and radio stations and access to electoral rolls.
• Conditions for Recognition as a National Party
1. Secure at least 6% of the valid vote in an Assembly or a Lok Sabha General Election in any four or 
more states and won at least 4 seats in a Lok Sabha General Election from any State or States
2. Win at least 2% of the total Lok Sabha seats in a Lok Sabha General Election and these seats have 
to be won from at least 3 states
3. The party is recognized as a State Party in at least four states
• Conditions for Recognition as a State Party
1. Secure at least 6% of the valid vote & win at least 2 seats in an Assembly General Election
2. Secure at least 6% of the valid vote & win at least 1 seats in a Lok Sabha General Election
3. Win at least 3% of the seats or at least 3 seats , whichever is more, in an Assembly General 
Election
4. Win at least 1 out of every 25 seats from a state in a Lok Sabha General Election
5. Secure at least 8% of the total valid vote in an Assembly or a Lok Sabha General Election
Nature of Party system in India
As far as analysis of party system is concerned, most scholars tend to differentiate them in the 
categories of one party system on one hand and two or multi- party system on the other. India has 
a long experience with Democracy and its political parties have been a vital component in the same. 
With nearly six decades of self government, despite ups and downs, India has been a glowing 
example of resilience of Democracy among the developing countries.
India’s tryst with political parties started from the colonial period itself. Despite INC enjoying a 
position of dominance in the National Movement, it wasn’t entirely successful in encompassing all 
the diversities within its ranks. While sharing certain basic commonalities with the western model 
of Party system, Rajni Kothari in his ‘Politics in India’ tries to point out that despite certain 
structural similarities between the western and Indian models, there existed certain peculiarities 
regarding the Indian system. He focusses on two main differences:
1. The Western model posits a criterion of alternation or replacement- existence of choice between 
two distinct alternatives and the assumption that choice is exercised in that manner- which 
Kothari believes is not a critical factor in the working of party system in India. 
2. The Western model implies a relationship between the government and the party organization 
in which the latter plays an instrumental and subsidiary role, which is not true in case of India.