2. WHAT ARE POLITICAL
PARTIES?
A political party is a group of people who come
together to contest elections and hold power in
the government. They agree on some policies
and programmes for a society with a view to
promote collective good.
A political party has three main components-
• The leaders
• The active members and
• The supporters.
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3. WHY DO WE NEED POLITICAL
PARTIES?
We can understand the necessity of political parties by
imagining a situation where political parties doesn’t exist.
Every candidate in the elections will be independent , so
no candidate will be able to make any promises to the
people about any major changes. The government may be
formed but its utility will remain ever uncertain. Elected
representatives will be accountable to their consistuency
only. No one will be responsible for how the country will
be run
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4. FUNCTIONS OF THE POLITICAL
PARTIES
Parties contest elections.
Parties form and run governments in country.
Parties put different policies and programmes.
Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country.
Those parties that lose in the elections play the role of
opposition to the parties in power.
Parties shape public opinion by raising and highlighting
issues.
Parties provide people access to government machinery and
welfare schemes implemented.
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5. TYPES OF POLITICAL PARTIES
There are two types of political parties –
1.National parties – A party that secures at least 6% of the total
votes in lok sabha elections or assembly elections in four
states and win at least 4 seats in lok sabha is recognized as a
national party.
2.State / Regional parties – A party that secures atleast 6% of
the of the total votes in state legislative assembly elections
and wins at least 2 seats is recognized as state party.
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6. MAJOR NATIONAL POLITICAL PARTIES
S.N. Symbol Name Acronym Year Party leader
1. Bahujan Samaj Party BSP 1984 Mayawati
2. Bharatiya Janata Party BJP 1980 Amit Shah
3. Communist Party of India CPI 1925 A.B. Bardhan
4.
Communist Party of India
(Marxist
CPI (M) 1964 Prakash Karat
5. Indian National Congress INC 1885 Sonia Gandhi
6. Nationalist Congress Party NCP 1999 Sharad Pawar6
7. SOME RECOGNIZED STATE
PARTIES
Name Year Party leader States
All India Anna Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam
1972 J. Jayalalitha Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry
AAM AADMI PARTY 2012 ARVIND
KEJRIWAL
DELHI
All India Trinamool Congress 1998 Mamata Banerjee West Bengol
Asom Gana Parishad 1985 Prafulla Kumar
Mahanta
Assam
Biju Janata Dal 1997 Naveen Patnaik Orissa
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1949 M Karunanidhi Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry
Indian National Lok Dal 1999 Om Prakash Chautala Haryana
Jammu & Kashmir National
Conference
1932 Omar Abdullah Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu & Kashmir National
Panthers Party
NA Bhim Singh Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir People's
Democratic Party
1998 Mufti Mohammed
Sayeed
Jammu and Kashmir
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8. SOME RECOGNIZED STATE PARTIES
Name Year Party leader States
Janata Dal (Secular) 1999 H.D. Deve Gowda Karnataka Kerala
Janata Dal (United) 1999 Nitish kumar Bihar
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha 1972 Shibu Soren Jharkhand Orissa
Kerala Congress 1964 P.J. Joseph Kerala
Kerala Congress (M) 1979 C.F. Thomas Kerala
Lok Jan Shakti Party 2000 Ram Vilas Paswan Bihar
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena 2006 Raj Thackeray Maharashtra
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party 1963 Shashikala Kakodkar Goa
Manipur People's Party 1968 O. Joy Singh Manipur
Mizo National Front 1959 Pu Zoramthanga Mizoram
Mizoram People's Conference 1972 Pu Lalhmingthanga Mizoram
Muslim League Kerala State
Committee
1948 G.M. Banatwalla Kerala
Nagaland People's Front 2002 Neiphiu Rio Nagaland
Pattali Makkal Katchi 1989 G. K. Mani Tamil Nadu
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9. PARTY SYSTEM
One-party system
Two-party system
Multi-party system
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10. ONE-PARTY SYSTEM
In China, only the Communist Party is allowed to rule.
We cannot consider one party system as a good option
because this is not a democratic option.
China and Cuba are example of one-party system.
TWO-PARTY
SYSTEM
In some countries, power usually changes between two main
parties.
But only the two main parties have a serious chance of
winning majority of seats to form government.
The United States of America and the United Kingdom are
examples of two-party system.
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11. MULTI-PARTY SYSTEM
In this system, the government is formed by various
parties coming together in a coalition.
For example, in India there were three such major
alliances in 2004 parliamentary elections– the National
Democratic Alliance, the United Progressive Alliance
and the Left Front.
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12. SYMBOLS
Indian National Congress Bhartiya Janta Party Bhaujan Samaj Party
Communist Party Of India National Congress Party Communist Party Of India (M)
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13. BHARTIYA JANTA PARTY
(BJP)
The BJP is the current form of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana
Sangh (BJS, Indian People's Union), which was founded in
October 21, 1951 by Syama Prasad Mookerjee
Believes in Indian Nationalism (Hindu Nationalism),Integral
humanism, Economic liberalism, Gandhian Socialism,
Conservatism, Social conservatism.
Came to power in 1998 as the leader of national democratic
alliance.
Earlier limited to the northern and western parts of the country.
The Ruler party in lok sabha.
The party's political symbol is a lotus
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14. Chairperson AMIT SAH
Leader in Lok Sabha NARENDRA MODI
Leader in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley
Preceded by Bharatiya Jana Sangh
Headquarters 11 Ashoka Road,
New Delhi, 110001
Newspaper Kamal Sandesh
Youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha
Women's wing BJP Mahila Morcha
Labour wing Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh
Peasant's wing Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
Political position Centre-right
Official colours Orange
ECI Status National Party
Seats in Lok Sabha 281/545
Seats in Rajya Sabha 46 / 250
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15. INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (INC)
One of the oldest parties of the world
Founded in 1885 by members of
the occultist movementTheosophical Society—Allan Octavian
Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, Womesh Chandra
Bonnerjee, Surendranath Banerjee, Monomohun Ghose,
and Mahadev Govind Ranade
It played a important role in the independence of India.
It was a ruling party till 1977 after independence.
A centrist party in its ideological orientation, the party espouses
secularism and welfare of weaker sections.
The party's political symbol is hand 15
16. Chairperson Sonia Gandhi
Leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun kherge
Leader in Rajya Sabha Gulam Navi Azad
Headquarters 24, Akbar Road,
New Delhi, 110011
Student wing National Students Union of India
Youth wing Indian Youth Congress
Women's wing Mahila Congress
Labour wing Indian National Trade Union
Congress
Political position Center-left
International affiliation Alliance of Democrats
Official colours Aqua
ECI Status National Party
Alliance United Progressive
Alliance (UPA)
Seats in Lok Sabha 44/ 545
Seats in Rajya Sabha 68/ 250
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17. Chairperson Mayawati
Secretary-General Satish Chandra Mishra
Leader in Lok Sabha N/A
Leader in Rajya Sabha Mayawati
Headquarters 12, Gurudwara Rakabganj
Road,
New Delhi - 110001
Political position Center
Official colours Blue
ECI Status National Party
Seats in Lok Sabha 00 / 545
Seats in Rajya Sabha 10/ 250
Bahujan Samaj Party
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18. COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (CPI)
It was formed in 1925. The founding members of the party
were M.N. Roy, Evelyn Trent Roy (Roy's wife), Abani
Mukherji, Rosa Fitingof(Abani's wife), Mohammad Ali
(Ahmed Hasan), Mohammad Shafiq Siddiqui and M.P.B.T.
Acharya.
It believes in Marxism-Leninism, secularism and democracy.
Became weak after the split in the party in1964.
Has significant presence in the states of Kerala ,West Bengal
,Tripura ,Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
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19. Secretary-General S Sudhaker Reddy
Headquarters New Delhi, India
Political position Far-left
International
affiliation
International
Conference of
Communist and
Workers' Parties.
Official colours Red
Alliance Left Front
ECI Status National Party
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20. COMMUNIST PARTY OF
INDIA - MARXIST (CPI-M):1964
Believes in Marxism- Leninism.
Supports socialism, secularism and democracy and
opposes imperialism and communalism.
Enjoys strong support in West Bengal, Kerala and
Tripura , among the poor, factory workers, farmers,
agricultural labourers and the intelligentsia
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21. Secretary-General Prakash Karat
Leader in Lok Sabha Basudev Acharia
Leader in Rajya Sabha Sitaram Yechuri
Headquarters New Delhi, India
Student wing Students Federation of India
Youth wing Democratic Youth
Federation of India
Women's wing All India Democratic
Womens Association
Labour wing Centre of Indian Trade
Unions
Peasant's wing All India Kisan Sabha
Political position Far-left
ECI Status National Party
Alliance Left Front
Seats in Lok Sabha 9/ 545
Seats in Rajya Sabha 9 / 250 21
22. NATIONALIST CONGRESS PARTY
(NCP):1999
Formed in 1999 following a split in the Congress party.
Espouses democracy, Gandhian secularism, equity, social
justice and federalism.
A major party in Maharashtra .
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23. Chairperson Sharad Pawar
Founded 1999
Headquarters 10, Bishambhar Das
Marg,New Delhi, 110001
Political position Centre/Centre left
Official colours Aqua
Alliance United Progressive Alliance
ECI Status National Party
Seats in Lok Sabha 9 / 545
Seats in Rajya Sabha 7 / 250
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