📘 Class 10 Political Science – Chapter 6
💠 Political Parties 💠
❓ Why Do We Need Political Parties?
- Political Party = Group of people who contest elections & hold power in government.
- They agree on policies & programmes to promote collective good.
- Parties reflect political divisions in society → known by:
- Which part of society they represent
- Which policies they support
- Whose interests they uphold
🔹 Components of a Political Party
- 👤 Leaders
- 👥 Active Members
- 🙌 Followers
⚙️ Functions of Political Parties
- 🗳️ Contest elections
- 📜 Put forward different policies & programmes → voters choose
- 🏛️ Play decisive role in making laws
- 👔 Form & run governments
- 🎤 Opposition parties → criticise government & voice alternative views
- 🗣️ Shape public opinion
- 🛠️ Provide people access to government machinery & welfare schemes
✅ Necessity of Political Parties
- Represent different views on issues to the government
- Bring representatives together → form responsible government
- Act as mechanism to support/restrain govt.
- Make, justify or oppose policies
- Fulfil essential needs of a representative democracy
🏛️ How Many Parties Should We Have?
1️⃣ One-Party System
- Only one party controls & runs government
- ❌ Not considered democratic
- Example → China
2️⃣ Two-Party System
- Power usually alternates between two main parties
- Example → 🇺🇸 USA, 🇬🇧 UK
3️⃣ Multi-Party System
- Several parties compete for power
- More than 2 parties have a chance to win independently or in alliance
- Example → 🇮🇳 India
👉 When several parties join together to contest elections → called an Alliance/Front.
🌍 National Parties
🗳️ Recognition of Political Parties
- Har party ko Election Commission me register karna padta hai.
- Recognition ke liye rules:
- State Party → At least 6% votes in State Assembly election + 2 seats.
- National Party → At least 6% votes in Lok Sabha / Assembly elections in 4 States + 4 Lok Sabha seats.
Major National Parties in India (2018)
1️⃣ All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)
- Founded → 1 Jan 1998 by Mamata Banerjee
- National Party → 2016
- Symbol → 🌸 Flowers & Grass
- Ideology → Secularism & Federalism
- In power → West Bengal (since 2011)
- Presence → Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura
- 2014 Lok Sabha → 3.84% votes, 34 seats (4th largest)
2️⃣ Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
- Founded → 1984 by Kanshi Ram
- Represents → Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, minorities
- Ideology → Welfare of oppressed classes
- Strong base → Uttar Pradesh
- Presence → MP, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab
- Formed govt. in UP several times with different alliances
3️⃣ Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- Founded → 1980 (roots in 1951 – Syama Prasad Mukherjee)
- Ideology → Integral Humanism, Antyodaya, Hindutva (Cultural Nationalism)
- Expansion → From north & west → to all over India (including rural areas)
- 2014 Lok Sabha → 282 seats (largest party)
4️⃣ Communist Party of India (CPI)
- Founded → 1925
- Ideology → Marxism-Leninism, Secularism, Democracy
- Supports → Farmers, working class, poor
- Presence → Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
- 2014 Lok Sabha → <1% votes, 1 seat
5️⃣ Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M)
- Founded → 1964
- Ideology → Marxism-Leninism, Socialism, Secularism, Democracy
- Strong support → West Bengal, Kerala, Tripura
- Ruled West Bengal for 34 years continuously
- 2014 Lok Sabha → 3% votes, 9 seats
6️⃣ Indian National Congress (INC)
- Founded → 1885 (oldest parties in world)
- Leader → Jawaharlal Nehru (built modern secular democratic India)
- Ruling party → Till 1977, again 1980–1989
- After 1989 → Decline, but still nationwide presence
- Ideology → Secularism, welfare of weaker sections & minorities
7️⃣ Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
- Founded → 1999 (split from INC)
- Ideology → Democracy, Gandhian secularism, social justice, federalism
- Base → Maharashtra
- Presence → Meghalaya, Manipur, Assam
- Coalition → In Maharashtra govt. with Congress; since 2004 → part of UPA
🗺️ State Parties (Regional Parties)
- Election Commission ne kuch major parties ko State Parties ya Regional Parties ke roop me classify kiya hai.
- Ye parties mainly ek rajya ya kuch specific regions me majboot hain.
- Regional issues + local identity par focus karti hain.
🔹 Examples of State Parties
- Biju Janata Dal (BJD) – Odisha
- Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) – Sikkim
- Mizo National Front (MNF) – Mizoram
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) – Telangana
⚠️ Challenges to Political Parties
People’s dissatisfaction & criticism highlight 4 major problems in the working of political parties:
1️⃣ Lack of Internal Democracy
- No proper membership registers 📑
- No regular organisational meetings
- No internal elections
2️⃣ Dynastic Control (Family Politics)
- Ordinary workers rarely rise to top positions
- Leadership remains in the hands of one family 👪
3️⃣ Money & Muscle Power
- Elections = focus only on winning at any cost
- Use of shortcuts, criminals & unfair practices 💰💪
4️⃣ Lack of Meaningful Choice
- Same leaders shifting parties → voters don’t get real alternatives
- Limited difference in ideology/policies of many parties
🔧 How Can Parties Be Reformed?
✅ Recent Efforts in India
- Anti-Defection Law (Constitutional Amendment) → Prevents MLAs & MPs from changing parties after election.
- Supreme Court Order → Mandatory affidavit 📝 for every candidate (assets + criminal cases).
- Election Commission Order → Parties must hold internal elections & file income tax returns.
💡 Suggested Reforms
- A law to regulate internal affairs of parties.
- Mandatory → 1/3rd tickets to women candidates + quota in decision-making bodies 👩
- State funding of elections → govt. support to reduce dependence on money.
👥 Role of People in Reform
- Citizens can pressurise parties through petitions, publicity, agitations ✊
- Active participation by ordinary citizens is essential → real change only if people join parties instead of just criticising.
