Political Parties

Chapter – 6

A political party

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

FEATURES OF POLITICAL PARTIES

i)political parties agree on some policies and programmes for the welfare of society with a view to promote the collective good.

ii)since there can be different views on what is good for all, parties try to persuade people why their policies are better than others.

iii)they seek to implement their policies by winning popular support through elections.

Partisan (Active member)

A person, who is strongly committed to a political party

Partisanship ( Follower)

Partisanship is marked by a tendency to take a side and  to take a balanced view on an issue.

Components of a political Party

 A political party has three components:

1.      The leaders

2.      The active members or (Partisan)

3.      The followers or (Partisanship)

     What does a political party do?  OR What are the functions of political parties? OR  Why do we need political parties?

1.      CONTEST ELECTIONS:

       Political parties select candidates and contest elections. E.g. In USA, members and supporters of a party choose its candidates whereas in India, top party leaders choose candidates for contesting elections.

2. SHAPE PUBLIC OPINION:

       They raise and highlight issues. Parties sometimes also launch movements for the resolution of problems faced by the people. Often opinions of the people in the society are formed on the line parties activities.

3. PROMOTION OF DIFFERENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES:

       Parties put together different policies and programmes and voters can choose from them. In a democracy, large no. of similar opinions have to be grouped together. To provide directions in which policies can be formulated by the govt.

4.PARTIES FORM THE GOVT.AND RUN GOVT.

       The political party which gets the majority of seats in the legislature forms and runs the govt. Parties recruit leaders, train them and then make them ministers to run the govt. in the way they want.

5. DECISIVE ROLE IN MAKING LAWS:

        Formally, laws are debated and passed in the legislature but since most of the members belong to a party, they go by the direction of the party leadership irrespective of their personal opinion.

7. PROVIDE PEOPLE AN ACCESS TO GOVT. MACHINERY AND WELFARE SCHEMES IMPLEMENTED BY THE GOVT.:

       For an ordinary citizen, it is easy to approach a local party leader than a govt. office. That is why they feel close to political parties even when they do not fully trust them. Parties have to be responsive to peoples’ needs and demands. Otherwise, people can reject those parties in the next elections.

6.PLAYS THE ROLE OF RESPONSIBLE OPPOSITION:

 Those political parties which do not get majority seats in legislature form the opposition. They voice different views and criticize the govt. for its failures on wrong policies.

Why modern democracies cannot exist without political parties?

We can understand the necessity of political parties by imagining a situation without parties.

1.      Every candidate in the elections will be independent. So no one will be able to make any promises to the people about any major policy changes.

2.      The government may be formed, but its utility will remain ever uncertain.

3.      Elected representatives will be accountable to their constituency for what they do in the locality. But no one will be responsible for how the country will be run.

4.       They needed Political party to bring various representatives together so that a responsible government could be formed.

 5.   Also if we look at the non-party based elections to the Panchayats in many states, although, the parties do not contest formally, it is generally noticed the village gets split into more than one faction, each of which puts up a ‘panel’ of its candidates.
                                               This is why we find political parties in almost all countries of the world.

RISE OF POLITICAL PARTIES
The emergence of political parties is linked to the emergence of Representative Democracies—large scale societies need representative democracy.
--as society become large and complex they also need some agencies to gather different views and various issues and to present these to the govt.
--they needed some way to bring various representatives together so that a responsible govt, could be formed.

          political parties fulfill these needs that every representative govt. has.

Political Parties and Party System

There are three types of political party systems:--

1.ONE PARTY SYSTEM—In some countries only one party is allowed to control and run the govt., these are called one party systems.
--we have this type in China.- Communist Party.
Any democratic system must allow at least two parties in to compete in the elections so that each party gets a fair chance to come to power. in this respect it is not a democratic option.
2. TWO-PARTY SYSTEM—In some countries power usually changes between two major parties.
Several other parties exist, contest elections and win few seats in the legislature. But only two main parties have a serious chance of winning and forming govt.
--examples are UK AND US.
3. MULTI-PARTY SYSTEM—If several parties compete for power, more than two parties have a reasonable chance of winning and coming to power either on their on their own or through an alliance with others.
--in India we have this system.

How many parties should we have in a democracy? OR How many major or effective parties are good for a democracy? Or Which party system should a country choose? 

1.       Party system is not something any country can choose. It evolves over a long time, depending on the nature of society, its social and regional divisions, its history of politics and its system of elections.

2.      Each country develops a party system that is conditioned by its special circumstances.

        For example, if India has evolved a multi-party system, it is because the social and geographical diversity in such a large country is not easily absorbed by two or even three parties.

3.      No system is ideal for all countries and all situations. (We cannot consider one party system as a good option because this is not a democratic option. Any democratic system must allow at least two parties to compete in elections and provide a fair chance for the competing parties to come to power.)

       (The multi-party system often appears very messy and leads to political instability)

What is an alliance or Front?

       When several parties in a multi-party system join hands for contesting elections and winning power, it is called alliance or front. The govt. is then formed by various parties coming together in a coalition E.g. major alliance in 2004 elections were NDA(National Democratic Alliance),UPA(United Progressive Alliance).

What are the drawbacks of multi-party system?

i) It leads to political instability as coalition govts. are formed which are not very stable.

ii)It leads to a lot of confusion in the minds of others.

What are the advantages of multi-party system?

      India has adopted multi-party system and it is advantageous because it can accommodate diverse cultural, regional and minority interests through representations.

Mention various types of political parties that exist in India. .

i)National parties

ii)Regional or State parties

What are the national parties?

These are country-wide parties.

i)They have their units in various states.

ii)By and large all their units follow the same policies, programmes and strategies that are decided at national level.

Iii)Election Commission offers some special facilities to large and established parties. These parties are given a unique symbol and only the official candidates of that party can use that election symbol.
iv)parties that get this privilege and some other special facilities are called Recognised Political Parties.
--according to this classification in India we have six national parties.

What are regional parties?

State parties are also called regional parties.

i)Regional parties exist, operate and function at regional level.

ii)A regional party has a regional outlook as it gives prominence to regional issues and specific problems of people of that region and influence people of that region.

iii)Some of these parties are All India Parties that happen to have succeeded in some states. Parties like Samajwadi party, Samata party and Rashtriya Janata Dal have national level political organisations with units in several states.

iv)Some parties like Biju Janata Dal,Sikkim Democratic Front and Mizo National Front are conscious about their state identity.

On what basis does Election Commission recognizes parties as national or regional parties?

NATIONAL PARTIES- A party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in Lok Sabha elections or six per cent of the total votes in Assembly elections in four States and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha or two seats in four states is recognized as a national party.

 REGIONAL PARTIES- A party that secures at least six per cent 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 Political Parties

1.      Indian National Congress(INC)

a.       Congress Party is one of the oldest parties of the world. It was founded in 1885 and has experienced many splits.

b.      Under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, the party sought to build a modern secular democratic republic in India.

c.       Ruling party at the centre from 1947 to 1977 and then from 1980 to 1989. After 1989, its support declined, but it continues to be present throughout the country, cutting across social divisions.

d.      A centrist party (neither rightist nor leftist) in its ideological orientation, the party espouses secularism and welfare of weaker sections and minorities.

e.       Currently leads the ruling United Progressive Alliance(UPA) coalition government at the Centre.

2.      Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)

a.       It was founded in 1980 by reviving the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

b.      It wants to build a strong and modern India by drawing inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values. Cultural nationalism (or ‘Hindutva’) is an important element in its conception of Indian nationhood and politics.

c.       It wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India, a uniform civil code for all people living in the country irrespective of religion and ban on religious conversions.

d.      Earlier its popularity was limited to north and west and to urban areas but the party expanded its support in the south, east and north-east and to rural areas.

e.       Came to power in 1998 as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance(NDA) including several state and regional parties.

3.      Bahujan Samaj Party( BSP)

a.       It was formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram.It seeks to represent and secure power for the bahujan samaj which includes the dalits, adivasis, OBCs and religious minorities.

b.      It draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Sahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Periyar Ramaswami Naicker and Babasaheb Ambedkar.

c.       It stands for the cause of securing the interests and welfare of the dalits and oppressed people.

d.      It has its main base in the state of Uttar Pradesh and substantial presence in neighbouring states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Punjab.

e.       It formed government in Uttar Pradesh several times by taking the support of different parties at different times.

f.       In the Lok Sabha elections held in 2004, it polled about 5 per cent votes and secured 19 seats in the Lok Sabha.

4.      Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M):

a.       It was founded in 1964. It believes in Marxism- Leninism.

b.      It supports socialism, secularism and democracy and opposes imperialism and communalism.

c.       It accepts democratic elections as a useful and helpful means for securing the objective of socioeconomic justice in India.

d.      It enjoys strong support in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, especially among the poor, factory workers, farmers, agricultural labourers and the intelligentsia.

e.       Has been in power in West Bengal without a break for 30 years. In 2004 elections, it won about 6 per cent of votes and 43 seats in the Lok Sabha.

5.      Communist Party of India (CPI)

a.       It was formed in 1925. It believes in Marxism-Leninism, secularism and democracy.

b.      It opposes to the forces of secessionism and communalism.

c.       It accepts parliamentary democracy as a means of promoting the interests of the working class, farmers and the poor.

d.      It became weak after the split in the party in 1964. Significant presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

e.       Its support base had gradually declined over the years. It secured about 1.4 per cent votes and 10 seats in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

6.      Nationalist Congress Party (NCP):

a.       It was formed in 1999 following a split in the Congress party.

b.      It support democracy, Gandhian secularism, equity, social justice and federalism.

c.       It wants that high offices in government be confined to natural born citizens of the country.

d.      A major party in Maharashtra and has a significant presence in Meghalaya, Manipur and Assam.

e.       A coalition partner in the state of Maharashtra in alliance with the Congress. Since 2004, a member of the United Progressive Alliance.

What are the ideological differences between CPI and CPM?

·         The CPI stresses the concept of "national democracy" while CPI(M) believes in "peoples democracy"

·         CPI=Communist Party of India, CPM =Communist Party of India (Marxist)

·         Official reason: After the Sino-India war of 1962, The Pro-Chinese members of CPI, walked out to form their own party CPI (Marxist) due to the ideological differences with the parent organization.

·         In terms of Seats won in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and State assembly elections, CPM is stronger party than CPI.

·         CPI Ideology :National Democracy, Joint Leadership of Working class+ Bourgeoisie

·         CPM Ideology :People’s Democracy: Leadership of Working class only

State political parties

1.      Regional parties need not be regional in their ideology or outlook. Some of these parties are all India parties that happen to have succeeded only in some states.

2.      Parties like the Samajwadi Party, Samata Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal have national level political organisation with units in several states.

3.      Some of these parties like Biju Janata Dal, Sikkim Democratic Front and Mizo National Front are conscious about their State identity.

4.      Over the last three decades, the number and strength of these parties has expanded. This made the Parliament of India politically more and more diverse.

5.      No one national party is able to secure on its own a majority in Lok Sabha. As a result, the national parties are compelled to form alliances with State parties from1996

CHALLENGES TO POLITICAL PARTIES
We know that how crucial political parties are for the democracy. They are the most visible face of the democracy and people blame them for whatever is wrong in the working of democracy.
This is a case of our country too. Popular dissatisfaction and criticism has focused on four problem areas in the working of political parties.

1. LACK OF INTERNAL DEMOCRACY: There is a tendency in political parties towards concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top. Parties do not hold organizational meetings or conduct internal elections. Since one or two leaders are important, those who disagree with them find it hard to continue in the party.

2.DYNASTIC SUCCESSION: There are very few ways for ordinary people or workers to rise to top in a political party. In many parties, the top positions are held by members of one family. This is bad for democracy as people who do not have enough experience and popular support come to occupy top and important positions.

3.USE OF MONEY AND MUSCLE POWER: Sometimes political parties use shortcuts to win elections. They tend to nominate those candidates who can waste a lot of money. In some cases, political parties support criminals who use their muscle power to ensure the victory of a political party in elections.

4.LACK OF MEANINGFUL CHOICE TO VOTERS: In the modern era, there has been a decline in the ideological differences among parties. Those who want different policies have no options available to them.

How can political parties be reformed? (Some of the recent efforts made to reform parties)

1.      The Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties. Because some elected representatives indulge in DEFECTION in order to become ministers or for cash rewards. Now the law says that if any MLA or MP changes parties, he or she will lose the seat in the legislature.

2.      The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and criminals. Now, it is mandatory for every candidate who contests elections to file an AFFIDAVIT giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him.

3.      The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organizational elections and file their income tax returns.

Many suggestions have been made to reform political parties as,
1. A law should be made regulate the internal affairs of political parties.
–it should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of its members, to follow its own constitution, to have an independent authority ,to act as a judge in case of disputes, to hold open elections in case of disputes.
2. It should be made mandatory for the political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, one-third, to women candidates. Similarly there should be a quota for women in the decision making bodies.
3. There should be state funding of elections. The govt. should give parties money to support their elections expenses such as petrol, paper, telephone etc. or it could be given in cash on the basis of votes secured by a party in the last elections.
4. People can put pressure on political parties and this can be done through petitions, publicity and agitations. Ordinary citizens, pressure groups and movements & media can play an important role in this. If political parties feel that will lose public support by not taking up reforms they will become more serious about reforms.
5. Political parties can improve if those who want change join politics. As the quality of democracy depends upon the degree of participation. It is difficult to reform politics if ordinary citizens do not take part in politics & simply criticize it from outside.
These suggestions have not yet been accepted by all political parties but if accepted can lead to improvement.
                  But over regulation of political parties can be counter productive and this would force all the parties to find ways to cheat the laws, besides political parties would not like to pass the law they do not like.

Political Parties: NCERT Solution

Answer the following questions:

1.    State the various functions political parties perform in a democracy
Answer: Functions of political parties are as follows:

a.    Political parties contest elections

b.    They form and run governments

c.    A party which loses the election plays the role of the opposition

d.    Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by the government.

e.    Parties shape public opinion, formulate laws and make policies

2.    What are the various challenges faced by political parties?
Answer: The various challenges faced by political parties are as follows:

a.    Lack of internal democracy

b.    Dynastic succession

c.    Money and muscle power

d.    Being a meaningful choice

3.    Suggest some reforms to strengthen parties so that they perform their functions well?
Answer: Some suggestions for future reforms of political parties are as follows:

o    A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties.

o    It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one-third, to women candidates.

o    There should be state funding of elections. The government should give parties money to support their election expenses. This support could be given in kind: petrol, paper, telephone etc. Or it could be given in cash on the basis of the votes secured by the party in the last election.

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

                What are the characteristics of a political party?
Answer: Parties reflect fundamental political divisions in a society. Parties are about a part of the society and thus involve PARTISANSHIP. Thus a party is known by which part it stands for, which policies it supports and whose interests it upholds. A political party has three components, viz. leaders, active members and followers.

1. A group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government is called a _____________________.
   Answer: Political Party
2. Who among the following is the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party?

a.    Kanshi Ram

b.    Sahu Maharaj

c.    B.R. Ambedker

d.    Jotiba Phule
Answer: (a) Kanshi Ram

3. What is the guiding philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party?

a.    Bahujan Samaj

b.    Revolutionary democracy

c.    Integral humanism

d.    Modernity
Answer: (d) Modernity

4. Consider the following statements on parties.

o    Political parties do not enjoy much trust among the people.

o    Parties are often rocked by scandals involving top party leaders.

o    Parties are not necessary to run governments.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

d.    A, B, and C

e.    A and B

f.     B and C

g.    A and C
Answer: (b) A and B

                 

                 

Match List I (organisations and struggles) with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:

                Answer:

List I	List II
Congress Party	United Progressive Alliance
Bharatiya Janata Party	National Democratic Alliance
Communist Party of India (Marxist)	Left Front
Telugu Desam Party	State Party