Chapter 3: Political Parties

Shubham Jha - Class 10

Political parties are a link that connects common
people, democracy, representation and elections.
o Whatever we read or hear about politics is related to political
parties.

o Political parties exist in all democratic systems.

In your school and the surroundings you must have seen some groups,
institutions, organization's working to achieve some objective. Some
organization's take initiative in resolving social problems. You may have
read about the various movements and their work.

Just as there are active groups, institutions and movements, similarly

there are political parties who contest elections. Political parties are also
a kind of social organisations, but there is a difference between political
parties and other institutions and organisations in society.
when people form organisations with the objective of achieving political power and
participate in the electoral process, such organisations are called political parties.

Political parties thus can be described as a group of people who aim to contest
elections, win elections and get power and establish the government of their party.
Following are some important characteristics of political parties:

To be in power : Achieving power through elections is the main objective of

political parties. Thus different political parties compete
with each other to get power. There is nothing wrong in this
competition, but the competition should be fair.
To pursue an ideology : Every political party has some policies and world views. Parties have a
particular stand about social issues. These together make party ideology.
The people who consider any specific party ideology as acceptable
support that political party. Social support received by a political party is
called the ‘mass base’ of political party. In modern days ideologies of all
political parties appear to be similar hence it has become difficult to
differentiate between the parties on the basis of ideologies.
To have a Party Agenda : Political parties prepare their party’s agenda on the basis of
party ideology. They implement the agenda after they get
political power. Even if they do not get political power,
political parties try to get support of people on the basis of
this agenda.
To Establish a Government : Political parties establish the government and govern
the nation. The political party which gets majority in
elections forms the government. The parties which do
not get majority act as opposition parties.
To act as a link between the Government and the people :

Political parties work as a link between the Government and

the people. Political parties communicate the demands and
complaints of the people to the government. The
government tries to get support of the people for its policies
and programmers' through political parties.
(Reference : Election Commission of India, Notification
No.56/201/PPS-111, dated 13 December 2016)
(1) Indian National Congress : The Indian National Congress was established in 1885.

Congress was an all comprehensive movement working for national

independence.

Groups with different ideologies had come together in this nationalist

movement.

After independence the Congress emerged as the most dominant political

party.

The party, from the beginning, follows the policy of secularism, all round
development, equal rights and welfare for minorities and disadvantageous
sections of the society.

The party believes in democratic socialism, social equality and international

peace
 This party based on the communist ideology was established in
(2) Communist Party of India : 1925. It is an old party in India.

This party works for the welfare of laborer's and workers.

The party opposes capitalism.

The party leadership developed differences in the 1960s over

the issue of whether Communist Party of India should accept
the leadership of Communist China or the Soviet Union.

This led to the split in Communist Party of India and a separate

party – Communist Party of India (Marxist) was formed in 1964.
 Bharatiya Janata Party is an important party at the national level.
(3) Bharatiya Janata Party :
Bharatiya Jan Sangh was established in 1951.

This party was merged with Janata Party that was established in 1977.

The Janata Party could not survive. There was a split in the party and
Bharatiya Jan Sangh -the component party of Janata Party established
a new party in 1980-Bharatiya Janata Party.

The party stands for the protection of Indian culture and traditions.

The party gives importance to economic reforms.

(4) Communist Party of India (Marxist) :
This party proclaims socialism, secularism and
democracy.

The party opposes imperialism.

Party’s policy is to protect the interests of

workers, farmers and landless labourers.
(5) Bahujan Samaj Party :
Bahujan Samaj Party professes the Socialist ideology.

In 1984 the party was established with the objective of

protecting the interest of the ‘majority’.

Scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, religious minorities

and other backward classes together constitute a
majority.

The party aims to give power in the hands of the

‘majority’.
(6) Nationalist Congress Party :
In 1999, there was a split in the Congress Party and
Nationalist Congress Party was established.

The party believes in the values of democracy, equality

and secularism.

The party was in power in Maharashtra from 1999 to

2014 in coalition with the Congress Party.

Nationalist Congress Party for a long period was also a

part of coalition government led by Congress at Centre
from 2004 to 2014.
(7) Trinamool Congress :

All India Trinamool Congress Party was

established in 1998.

Election Commission gave the party recognition

as national party in 2016.

The party supports democracy, secularism and

protection of interests of weaker sections of
the society.
Regional Parties are those parties whose main hold is in one
specific state and they participate in the election only within
that state.

To get recognition as a regional party, Political party should

secure minimum 6% of the valid votes in the earlier Lok Sabha
or Assembly elections and minimum 2 members should be
elected in the Vidhan Sabha or State Assembly.

OR
A political party should secure minimum 3% of seats out of the
total seats of the Vidhan Sabha or State Assembly or minimum
3 seats
1. Shiromani Akali Dal

To cultivate religious and

1920 regional identity
2. Jammu and Kashmir National Conference

▪ To protect the interest of

1932 Kashmiri people.

▪ To protect autonomous
status
3. Shiv Sena

▪ To protect the rights of Marathi

1966 people.
▪ To promote Marathi Language

▪ To resist people from other

regions
4. Assam Gan Parishad

1985 ▪ To resolve the problems

of displaced people

▪ To protect the unique

cultural, linguistic and
social identity of Assam

▪ To promote economics
development of Assam.
5. Dravida Munnetra
1920- Justice Party- a non Brahmin movements in
1920 was transformed into Dravida Munnetra
Kazhagam – a political party.
To protect
1944- Justice Party came to be known as Dravida Tamil identity
Kazhagam

1949- A group separated from DK and established

another party- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

1972- Another group separated from this party and

established All India Anna Dravida Munnetra
Kazhagam
...................... works as a link between the
Government and the people.

(a)Political parties

(b)Government

(c)President

(d)Social organizations.
To acquire political power, when people come
together and participate in electoral process such
organizations are called ...................... .

(a)Government

(b)Society

(c)Political Parties

(d)Social Organization
Indian National Congress was established in ...................... .

(a)1984

(b)1885

(c)1925

(d)1988
Shubham Jha - Class 10