Key Points

A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. A party has three components: the leaders, the active members, and the followers.

Political parties contest elections, form and run governments, create laws, play the role of opposition, and shape public opinion. They also provide citizens with access to government machinery and welfare schemes.

Political parties are necessary for representative democracies because they group similar opinions, form responsible governments, and provide a mechanism to support or restrain the government. Without parties, independent candidates cannot make major policy promises or run a country effectively.

In a one-party system, only one party is legally allowed to control and run the government. This system is not considered democratic, with China being a prominent example.

In a two-party system, power typically alternates between two main political parties that have a serious chance of winning elections. The United States of America and the United Kingdom are examples.

A multi-party system is when several parties compete for power, and more than two have a reasonable chance of forming a government, often by forming a coalition or an alliance. India has a multi-party system.

A party is recognized as a national party if it secures at least six percent of total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four States, and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha.

A party is recognized as a State party if it 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.

A major challenge is the concentration of power in one or a few top leaders, without regular organizational meetings or internal elections. This means ordinary members have little influence on decisions.

Related to the lack of internal democracy, leaders are in a position to favor family members, leading to dynastic succession. This allows people without adequate experience or popular support to occupy powerful positions.

Parties often nominate candidates who have or can raise large amounts of money, and sometimes support criminals who can win elections. This increases the influence of wealthy individuals and companies in politics.

Often, there is little ideological difference between major parties on fundamental issues, offering voters a limited meaningful choice. The same set of leaders also frequently switch between parties.

The Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties after winning elections. Under this law, a legislator who defects will lose their seat.

The Supreme Court has made it mandatory for every candidate to file an affidavit detailing their property and any pending criminal cases. This information is made public to increase transparency.

Key suggestions for reform include creating a law to regulate the internal affairs of parties, mandating a quota for women in tickets and decision-making bodies, and having state funding of elections.