CHAPTER-6

Political Parties
1. How do you define a political party? What are its components?
a. A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and
hold power in the government.
b. They agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to
promote the collective good.
c. A political party has three components - the leaders, the active members, and
the followers.

2. State the functions of a political party.

a. Parties contest elections.
b. Parties put forward different policies and programmes that can be implemented
by the government.
c. Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country.
d. Parties form and run governments.
e. Parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition.
f. Parties shape public opinion by raising and highlighting issues that may be of
concern to the society.
g. Parties provide access to government machinery and welfare schemes
implemented by governments.

3. Why do we need political parties?

a. We need political parties because they perform a variety of functions.
b. If there is no political party in the country, every candidate standing for elections
will be independent. Under such circumstances, the unity of the country is at
stake as every single member expects to implement his own ideas.
c. 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.
d. As societies become large and complex, they need some agency to gather
different views on various issues and to present these to the government.
e. A responsible government can be formed the political party provides that
mechanism to support or restrain the government, make policies, justify or
oppose them.

4. What are the characteristics of a political party?

a. A political party usually agrees on some policies and programmes for the society
with a view to promote the collective good.
b. Since there can be different views on what is good for all, parties try to persuade
people why their policies are better than others.
c. They seek to implement these policies by winning popular support through
elections.
5. Briefly explain a) one-party system, b) two-party system and c) multi-party system.
a. One-Party system: If only one-party can control and run the government, then it
is called one-party system. In China, only the communist party can rule.
b. Two-Party system: Power usually changes between two main parties. Several
other parties may exist, contest elections, and win a few seats in the national
legislatures. But only two main parties have a serious chance of winning majority
of seats to form government. Such a party system is called two-party system. Ex:
USA and UK.

c. Multi-Party System: If several parties compete for power, and more than two
parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power wither on their own
strength or in alliance with others, we call it a multiparty system. In this system,
sometimes a coalition government could also be formed where several parties
come together to form a government.

6. ‘No party system is ideal for all countries in all situations.’ Analyse the statement.
a. Party system is not something any country can choose.
b. 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.
c. Every country develops a party system that is conditioned by its special
circumstances.
d. Ex: If India has evolved a multiparty system, it is because the social and
geographical diversity in such a large country is not easily absorbed by two or
even three parties.

7. What is meant by a recognized political party? State the conditions required to be

recognized as a regional and national political party.
a. Every party has to register with the Election Commission.
b. The Election Commission has laid down detailed criteria of the proportion of
votes and seats that a party must get in order to be a recognized party.
c. 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 recognized as a
State Party.
d. 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.

8. Names of five states are given below. Write the name of any one regional party of
that state with the election symbol.
1. Tamilnadu, 2. Maharashtra, 3. Assam, 4. Uttar Pradesh, 5.
Telangana

9. What are the challenges faced by the political parties in India? Explain.
 a. Lack of internal democracy:
1. Concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top has been a common
feature of political parties in India.
2. Parties do not keep membership registers, do not hold organizational
meetings, and do not conduct internal elections regularly.
3. Ordinary members of the party do not get sufficient information on what
happens inside the party. Their opinions are not taken into consideration
while taking a major decision by the top leaders of the party.
b. Dynastic Succession:
1. Many parties do not practice open and transparent procedures for their
functioning, there are very few ways for an ordinary worker to rise to the top
in a party.
2. Those who happen to be the leaders are in a position of unfair advantage to
favour people close to them or even their family members.
3. In many parties, top positions are always controlled by members of one
family.
c. Money and muscle power:
1. Since parties are focused only on winning elections, they tend to use short-
cuts to win elections.
2. They tend to nominate those candidates who have or can raise lots of
money.
3. Rich people and companies who give funds to the parties tend to influence
on the policies and decisions of the party. In some cases parties support
criminals who can win elections.
d. Lack of meaningful choice:
1. In the recent years, there has been a decline in the ideological differences
among parties in most parts of the world.
2. In our country, the differences among all the major parties on the economic
policies have reduced. Those who want different policies have no option
available to them.
3. Sometimes, people cannot even elect different leaders either, because the
same set of leaders keep shifting from one party to another.

10. What rules have been laid upon the political parties to reduce corruption and
money power that plays a major role during and after elections?
a. The Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing
parties. The anti-defection law says that if any MLA or MP changes parties after
the getting elected, he or she will lose the seat in the legislature or in the Lok
Sabha.
b. The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and
criminals. It is mandatory for every candidate who contests elections to file an
affidavit giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him.
c. The Election Commission has made it necessary for political parties to hold their
organizational elections and file their income tax returns.
11. Suggest some reforms to strengthen parties so that they perform their functions
well?
a. A law should be made to 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 party disputes, to hold open elections to the highest posts.
b. It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of
tickets, about one-third, to women candidates.
c. There should be state funding of elections. The government should give parties
money to support could be given in kind: petrol, paper, telephone etc.
d. People can put pressure on political parties. This can be done through petitions,
publicity and agitations.
e. The quality of democracy depends on the degree of public participation. It is
difficult to reform politics if ordinary citizens do not take part in it and simply
criticize it from the outside.