Political Parties In India

In India, Indian National Congress party is the only national party present even prior to independence.  In my childhood I only heard of Congress and Communist parties, later about Jana Sangh.  Members of National Congress have separated from the original party and formed different factions, but the one surviving as the original party is Indian National Congress.  The Communists parties are divided into two one CPI, Communist party of India and CPM, Communist party of India (Marxist).  I do not understand when their fundamentals are same why they want to maintain two parties, is it for the welfare of the people or for more people to bask in the glory of power politics?  The Jana Sangh is disintegrated and gave rise to Bharatiya Janata party.  The other national party of recent origin is the Nationalist Congress Party, which is nothing but and extension of Indian National Congress Party.  The founders of NCP were against Mrs. Sonia G, taking the reins of INC and becoming Prime Minister of India.  But now they are all working under her Chairman ship – as UPA Government!  The party which had come into existence based on Ambedkar ideology is the Bahujana Samaj Party founded by Shri Kanshi Ram.  This party aims to strengthen the backward and down trodden in the castiest Indian society and bring it to power in the State and at Centre. 

All the national parties are formed on the ideology of welfare of all sections of people of India.  As the people in these national parties being predominantly from northern parts of India, imposition of Hindi in all the states of India had given rise to discontent in South, particularly Tamilnadu and paved way to the formation of regional party DMK, later AIADMK.  During the early eighties Nandamuri Taraka Ramarao, renowned Telugu film actor, inspired by MGR, Tamil film actor and founder of AIADMK, had founded Telugu Desam Party (TDP).  Since past few years as the role of money and muscle power has increased in electoral politics many parties are being formed without any concrete ideology.  People, who are rich and have some mass following like film actors, are in forefront in forming parties for personal gains.  Now politics is for power and more power and money and not for power to serve people.

As updated by election commission on 12-3-14 the total number of political parties in India is 1616.  National parties are 6, recognised state parties are 47 and unrecognized parties are 1563.  36 national parties have influence at the national level.  This is what making the regional parties more powerful and allowing them to play a greater role at national level.

For a party to become a national party it should fulfill any of the following criteria:

-         It should win 2% of seats (11) in Lok Sabha from three different states

-         At General elections to Lok Sabha or Legislative assembly elections it should be polled 6% of votes in four states plus win four Lok Sabha seats

-         Recognised as state party in four or more states.

The parties who fail to fulfill the criteria in any general election will lose its identity as national party.

For a party to be recognised as state party it has to fulfill these criteria:

-         In any General elections or Legislative assembly elections it should get at least 3% of seats in Legislative assembly or minimum of 3 seats

-         In any General assembly it should get it one Lok Sabha seat for every 25 Lok Sabha seats allotted to that state

-         In General elections or Legislative assembly to get at least  6% of votes in state and one Lok Sabha seat and 2 assembly seats

-         In General elections to Lok Sabha or Legislative assembly elections should have polled minimum of 8% of votes in the state.

The increase in regional imbalances socio-cultural conflicts has lead to formation of regional parties.  These regional parties work for the development of their region.  India being a nation of many religions, languages and cultures is bound only by the feeling of ‘Indian’.  But the imposition of the language or culture of one region on the other is creating conflicts.  Now in almost all the states in India there are one or more regional parties apart from the significant presence of national parties.  In fact, the presence of national parties is getting marginalized in some states, the best example is Tamil Nadu. 

As no national party is in a position to gain absolute majority in General elections, it is the regional parties which play the role of king maker.  Every regional party wants to have major share in the power at Centre and work for development of its own region. Black mail politics for stable government is the cause of corruption at high places. 

In future it is only the regional parties that are going to rule the nation. The parties should form a national council with apolitical intellectuals and academicians from different fields of science and culture from all the regions.  This council should develop plans for development of all regions and council of ministers should follow it without regional bias.  The council of ministers and intellectuals should work to fulfill the goals embedded in our constitution.

As national parties are losing their all India appeal more and more local parties will come up in future as it is a very simple procedure.  Any body who abides by Indian constitution can form a party and apply to Election Commission of India under section 29A of Representation of Peoples Act 1951.   The required payment of fee is Rs.10,000/- only.  Application may be submitted in prescribed proforma.  Once the party is recognised a symbol is given on which the party can contest.  State party’s symbol will be in that state only and national party uses the same symbol all over the nation.

Indian Union is now becoming federal government and every state party should have a broader perspective of development of not only their state but join together to make India a developed nation.  As Indians we are more powerful internationally and our divided interest can be catastrophic to the nation.

I hope people of India will give a decisive vote for a stronger and safe India.