Pw Multi-Party System

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LL.M Trimester II--- Project work on

Multi-party system in India

In course of

Election law

Under the Guidance of Dr. Tarkesh Molia

Submitted by

Name & Roll no


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A!"#$L%&G%M%"T

I would like to thank Institute of law, Nirma University for giving me such

an opportunity for undergoing a project work on Multi-Party system in India

under the subject lection !aw"

I would like to e#press my profound gratitude for the project guidance to

Prof" $r" %arkesh Molia who has guided me in doing this particular research

work"

I have tried to cover all the aspects of the topic and all possible care and

caution has been taken to make the project fair and error less"

Name

&oll no

'()*+)'


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%'TI(IAT%

%his is to certify that the project titled Mu)ti-Party System in India.submitted by "ame and 'o)) no towards the fulfillment of the re/uirement

for the award of the !!"M $egree for the subject lection !aw is a bonafied

record of work carried out by her under my supervision and guidance"

%o the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously

published or written by another person nor material which has been accepted

for the award of any degree or diploma of the University or other Institute of

higher learning, e#cept where due acknowledgement has been made in the

te#t"

------0ignature-------

Place1 $r" %arkesh Molia

$ate1 lection law

Institute of !aw

Nirma

University


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&%LA'ATI#"

I hereby declare that, I "ame and 'o)) no has prepared this project entitled Mu)ti-Party System in India. under the able guidance of Prof" $r"%arkesh

Molia for the award !!"M $egree in the subject of lection !aw" %he

submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and

belief, it contains no material previously published and written by another

person nor material which has been accepted for the award of any other

degree or diploma of the University or other Institute of higher learning,

e#cept where due acknowledgement has been made in the te#t"

--0ignature-----

Place1 Name

$ate1 &oll no

lection !aw

Institute of !aw,

Nirma University


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ontents

'" 2hapter '1 Introduction to the project"a" 2onceptual framework

b" 0tatement of problemc" !iterature reviewd" 3bjectivese" 4ypothesisf" &esearch /uestiong" 0cope of studyh" &esearch methodology

5" 2hapter 51 Party 0ystem in Indiaa" Introduction b" volution of party system in Indiac" 2onstitutional and legal frame work

d" Provisions dealing with party recognitione" National and regional partiesf" Procedure for registrationg" 2haracteristics of Indian Party systemh" 0ummary

+" 2hapter +1 Multi-Party 0ystem in Indiaa" Introduction b" 2hanging nature of party competitionc" $evelopment of Multi-party system

• Phase '

• Phase5

•Phase+

d" 2oalition and minority governments

• Phase

e" 6dvantages of party system and multi-party systemf" $isadvantages of multi-party systemg" 2onclusion

7" 2hapter 71 2omparative study of 8oth 0ingle Party $ominance and Multi-Party

0ystema" Introduction b" 2omparison of featuresc" 2omparison of advantages and disadvantages

d" 2onclusion" 8ibliography

ha*ter +


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Introduction to the *roject"

+.+ once*tua) framework

Politics in India take place within the framework of its constitution, as India is a federal parliamentary democratic republic in which the President of India is the head of state and

the Prime Minister of India is the head of government" India follows the dual polity system,

i"e" a double government which consists of the central authority at the 2entre and states at

the edge" %he constitution defines the organisation, powers and limitations of both central

and state governments, and it is well-recogni9ed, rigid and considered supreme: i"e" laws of

the nation must conform to it" %here is a provision for a bicameral legislature consisting of

an Upper 4ouse, i"e" &ajya 0abha, which represents the states of the Indian federation and a

lower house i"e" !ok 0abha, which represents the people of India as a whole" %he Indian

constitution provides for an independent ;udiciary which is headed by the 0upreme 2ourt"

%he court


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0ome features of the political parties in India are that the parties are generally woven around

their leaders, the leaders actively playing a dominant role, and that the role of leadership can

be transferred, thus tending to take a dynastic route" 0uch parties include both national and

regional parties, such as the Indian National 2ongress >IN2?, which has been led by the

Nehru-@andhi dynasty since independence, beginning with ;awaharlal Nehru who

dominated the IN2 and led it to victory in three consecutive elections, and continuing with,

after a brief interlude of the prime minister ship of !al 8ahadur 0hastri, NehruIndira? or 2ongress >I?" Indira remained the leader of the party

until her death in '=B7, handing power to her son &ajiv @andhi, who, after his death, his

widow 0onia @andhi, the current leader of IN2, took command"%his research study deals with the nature of the party system in India" It aims at underlying

the evolution of the party system in the pre and post-independence period" %he study aims at

understanding the nature of the party system in India and identifies its various

characteristics, changing nature and e#plains the emerging patterns and discusses the socio-

economic and the political factors underlying the changing nature of party politics" 0imilarly

the researcher tries to analyse the Multi-Party system which is predominant in Indian society

and its impacts on $emocracy"

1.2 Statement of *rob)em Under this research, the researcher e#amined the operation of a multi-party system in India"

2onse/uently, this paper provides information that will stimulate knowledgeable debate on

contemporary governance issues, public accountability in democratic practices in India" %he

problem that the researcher addresses through this research study is about the indispensable

status of political parties in the working of a democratic government" In fact, political

parties are the life and blood of democracy" 6ccording to 8agehot Party government is the

vital principle of representative government ". In the words of Prof" 4arold !aski, There is

no alternative to party government save dictatorship in any state of the modern size and

they are inevitable in a democracy". In every democratic country the party system is an

2 C"s" &ama $evi D 0"E" Mendiratta, 4ow India Cotes- lection !aws, Practice and Procedure,

+rd dition, !e#is Ne#is, 5*'7, >Pg" 7B-A5+?"


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e#tra-legal growth" It e#ists outside the legal framework of the state and is not referred to in

the 2onstitution" Political parties e#press and form public opinion and are the chief

mechanism of informing and influencing the electorate" %he working of political parties in

India over more than si# decades after Independence presents us a contrasting picture of

partial success, serious shortcomings and huge challenges" 6s such it generates mi#ed or

contradictory feelings in us" %he researcher is steering to find out the gap between what the

party leaders profess and practice: between the e#pectations of people for more benefits and

the inability of parties to deliver: between the increased authoritarian leadership styles and

the larger dynamics of democracy"

1.3 Literature re,iew'" M.P ainFs book G Indian onstitutiona) )aw’ is a book provides for all basic literature

available on constitution and administrative law" %he book serves as a G8ibleF for the

constitutional law investigators" It also offers a clear understanding of the lection laws

and party system in India" %he researcher referred the above mentioned book to have a

clear understanding of the election laws in India and the constitutional provisions"

5" Smt .S 'ama &e,i , the former Union !aw 0ecretory and 0ecretory general to council of

states in the book titled GHow India Votes’, lection laws practice and procedure, gives

to the readers much detailed information on all aspects of electoral system" It offers a

good understanding on the formation of parties: their working etc" the researcher used

this book to understand the present party system in India"

1.4 #bjecti,es3bjectives of the present study are:

%o understand the Party system in India

%o analyse the changing nature of party system in India and its effects on the

society %o understand the system of Multi-Party system and analyse is that a challenge to

the democracy or notH %o understand the merits and de-merits of Multi-Party system in India

1.5 /y*othesis%he researcher postulates that the number of parties in a nation adversely affects its

prognostications for democracy."


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1.6 'esearch 0uestion hat have been the main patterns of party competitionH hat changes have come in

the parties and party system and how do we understand this transformationH hat are the social and electoral support bases of partiesH 6re there any

2hanges)shifts in that and if so how and why they came aboutH hat are the formal structures of party organisationsH 4ow democratic are they in

their internal functioning and how much parties diverge in this aspectH hy and how

parties in recent decades have become leader-centered and family-centeredH hat has been the role of parties in democratic transformation of IndiaFs polityH

4ow far parties are successful in articulating peopleFs aspirations and acting as

agencies that led to the accommodation of diverse groups in governmental

structuresH 4ow did parties contribute to the legitimacy and stability of the stateH

hat are the challenges that parties faceH hat kinds of interventions are possible tostrengthen the parties and their democratic characterH

hether the Multi-Party system is a challenge to the democracyH 6nd whether the

model is good for IndiaH

1. Sco*e of Study %he scope of the research delimits itself to the legal and social field of political parties and

the Model of party system i"e" Multi-Party system prevailing in India" 4ence it e#cludes the

same practiced in other parts of the world"

1.! 'esearch methodo)o1y%he study undertaken by the researcher is doctrinal in nature and hence e#cludes field study"

%his study is based on the secondary dataFs such as published writings of legal scholars:

other documents originating from lawmakers: the published written opinions of higher

courts: writings in legal history: and writings in philosophy: legal dictionaries: legal

encyclopedias: te#tbooks: law reform and policy papers: ;ournal articles" It is a theoretical

research on the concepts of Poverty 6lleviation Programmes in India, role of UN$P in

eradicating poverty in India which is $escriptive and 6nalytical in Nature"• Primary 0ources1 Primary authorities are the rules of law that are binding upon the

courts, government, and individuals" #amples1 constitutions, statutes, regulations,

treaties, court orders, administrative regulations, policy material

• Persuasive Primary 6uthority1 2ommentaries on the law that do not have binding

effect but aid in e#plaining what the law is or should be" #amples1 primary authority,


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which is not binding on the courts, vi9" opinions of the judges, attorney @eneral, law

minister, ministry of parliamentary affairs, primary authorities from foreign

jurisdiction"

• 0econdary 0ources1 2ommentaries, law journals or periodicals, articles, te#tbooks,

legal encyclopedia, legal dictionary, annotations, legal opinions, surveys, legislative

history 0econdary sources are important in legal research because they point the

researcher to primary sources of the law"

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ha*ter 2

Party system in India

2.1 Introduction Political parties are indispensable to any democratic system" %he constitution of India has

provided for representative and federal form with the parliamentary democratic

government at the Union and in the 0tates+" $emocratic representative government

cannot function without political parties" Political parties formulate, consolidate and

e#press public opinion" %hey simplify the election process: enlighten the people on

political issues and their responsibilities" %hey act as the best link between the

government and the common man" 6ccording to 8urke 7, Political Party is a body of

men "nited for promoting the principles of national interest#" India has a multi-party

systemA" Party system is inevitable for the e#istence of a democratic system" Political

parties are the social factors that enlighten, represent and protect the people in a

3 0upra '

4 Paul !angford >et al?, %he ritings and speeches of dmund 8urke, 2larendon Press, 3#ford,

+'( >'=B'?


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representative democracy" %here may be several organi9ations: the political parties have

certain peculiarities" %hose are organi9ational structure and stability, definite objectives,

activities on the basis of ideas and principles, @eneral stand points on public issues,

ultimate objective of attaining governmental power" It is the e#isting political culture that

determines the party system of a country" %he political culture of a society is the sum total

of the values and participatory attitudes that the people maintain" 6ccording to the

number of political parties that e#ist in a nation the party system can be divided into:

• single party system,

• 8i-party system or multi-party system"

8ased on the areas of activity, objectives and interests the political parties can be divided

into:

• National party

•

&egional party"Political parties and the party system in India have been greatly influenced by cultural

diversity, social, ethnic, caste, community and religious pluralism, traditions of the

nationalist movement, contrasting style of party leadership, and clashing with ideological

perspectives" %he two major categories of political parties in India are National and 0tate,

and are so recogni9ed by the lection 2ommission of India on the basis of certain

specified criteria"

&efinition3 8y a political party we mean a group of citi9ens more or less organi9ed who

hold common views, ideas on public /uestions and acting as a political unit seeks toobtain control of the government in order to further the policy which they profess

'" MacI,er defines a political party, 6s an association organi9ed in support of some

principle or policy which by constitutional means it endeavors to make the

determinant of government".5" 6ccording to Gi)christ a party may be defined as, an organi9ed group of citi9ens who

profess to share the same political views and who by acting as a political unit try to

control the @overnment".+" Leacock compares it, ith a joint stock company to which each member contributes

his share of political power".

5 0atri Ceera Eesalu, @enesis and valuation Political Parties in India, International &esearch

;ournal of 0ocial 0ciences, Col" 5>5?, A-A5, Kebruary >5*'+?" Cisit www"isca"in >accessed on

'')*+)'?"

6 0ee chapter +"

http://www.isca.in/http://www.isca.in/


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Kunctions Political parties generally perform the following functions1

• 8uilding party cadres"

• 3rgani9ing public opinion on important issues affecting public"

• %he selection of candidates for election"

•

Provide leadership to the people"• Planning and e#ecution of the election campaign"

• Maintaining party discipline and loyalty"

• %o formulate policies and programs and implement them after coming into power"

• ducate people and arouse political consciousness("

2.2 %,o)ution of Party system in India%he evolution of Indian party system can be traced to the formation of the 2ongress, as a

political platform in 'BB" 3ther parties and groups originated later" %he Indian National

2ongress was formed as a response to the colonial rule and to achieve independence from

the 8ritish ruleB" 6fter independence and with the adoption of a democratic 2onstitution,

a new party system emerged in the wake of the first general elections based on universal

adult franchise in '=5" $uring the post-independence period, the party system passed

through various phases" %he first phase is known as the phase of one-*arty dominance

because with the e#ception of Eerala during '=AL=, the ruling party both at the 2entre

and in the states was the 2ongress" %he second phase >'=A(L'=(? saw the emergence of

a mu)ti-*arty system in India" In the 6ssembly elections in '=A(, 2ongress was defeatedin eight 0tates" Kor the first time non-2ongress parties formed governments in these

states" %hese parties formed coalition governments" %hen came the split in 2ongress into

2ongress >3? and 2ongress >N?" 4owever, the 2ongress again became a dominant force

at the 2entre after winning '=(' mid-term poll" %hen came the emergency period >'=(L

((? which is known as the authoritarian period of Indian democracy" ith the lifting of

emergency, the dominance of 2ongress ended" In the general elections of '=(( 2ongress

was defeated by the ;anata Party" ;anata Party came into e#istence as a result of the

7 Indian @overnment and Politics, University of 2alicut, visit1

http1))www"universityofcalicut"info)syl)Indian@ovt6ndPolitics"pdf >accessed on '')*+)'?"

8 Satri Veera Kesalu, Genesis and Evaluation Politial Parties in !ndia,

!nternational "esear# $ournal o% Soial Sienes, Vol. 2&2', 56(62, )e*ruar+

&213'. Visit ---.isa.in &aessed on 11315'.

http://www.universityofcalicut.info/syl/IndianGovtAndPolitics.pdfhttp://www.universityofcalicut.info/syl/IndianGovtAndPolitics.pdf


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merger of many opposition parties" 8ut again in '=B* general elections 2ongress came

back to power and remained in power till '=B=" ;anata Party emerged out of the merger of

2ongress >3? led by Morarji $esai, 8haratiya !ok $al led by 2h" 2haran 0ingh,

2ongress for $emocracy >2K$? led by ;agjivan &am and 4"N" 8ahuguna, the socialists

led by @eorge Kernandes and ;ana 0angh led by !"E" 6dvani" In '=B= elections, the

National Kront joined government with the support of 8;P and the !eft Kront" 8ut this

formation could not last its tenure and elections for the tenth !ok 0abha were held in

May-;une, '=='" 2ongress again formed government at the 2entre" In '==A general

elections 8;P emerged as the single largest party and was asked to form government at

the 2entre" 0ince it could not prove its majority within the given time it had to resign"

%he United Kront which was a combination of thirteen parties formed the government at

the 2entre with the e#ternal support of the 2ongress and the 2PI >M?" 8ut this

government also could not last its full term" 6lthough the coalition government formed

under the leadership of 8;P after '==B elections was defeated in !ok 0abha, the '===

elections again provided them the opportunity to form government which lasted its full

term under a multi-party coalition, known as National $emocratic 6lliance >N$6?" In the

'7th general elections held in 5**7, 2ongress emerged as the single largest party" It

formed alliance with likeminded parties and formed government at the 2entre" %he phase

of Indian party system which began in '=B= and is still continuing has been aptly called a

phase of coa)ition *o)itics" No single party has been able to form government on its own

at the 2entre="

5"+ onstitutiona) and Le1a) Positions%he legal and constitutional position of political parties varies from country to country" In

most democratic countries, however, there is neither any direct constitutional provision

regulating the functioning of political parties, nor any legal sanction establishing political

parties as a necessary governmental institution, although there are some governmental

systems, which try to prescribe some conditions for the operation of a party system" %he

2onstitution of India does not directly deal with Political parties" 4owever, there is one

provision in the 2onstitution which is directly relevant to the functioning of political

/ C"s" &ama $evi D 0"E" Mendiratta, 4ow India Cotes- lection !aws, Practice and Procedure,

+rd dition, !e#is Ne#is, 5*'7, >Pg" 7B-A5+?"


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parties, the %enth 0chedule" %he %enth 0chedule of the 2onstitution was added by the

2onstitution >Kifty-second 6mendment? 6ct, '=B" It deals with the dis/ualification of a

person for being a member of either 4ouse of Parliament >6rt" '*5>5?? or the !egislative

6ssembly or !egislative 2ouncil of a 0tate >6rt"'='>5??, on ground of defection" In the

absence of a sufficiently detailed constitutional provisions, the major responsibility of

framing and administering the rules and regulations governing political parties in India

has fallen on the lection 2ommission, a constitutional body responsible for conduct of

elections" %he lection 2ommission of India has the ultimate power to accord recognition

and status of political parties to the association or body of citi9ens of India" %he

lection 2ommission has the power to decide whether or not to register an association or

body of individuals as a political party"

%he recogni9ed political parties are accorded the status of a National or 0tate political party in accordance with the provisions of lection 0ymbols >&eservation and 6llotment

3rder, '=ABA as amended from time to time" %he number of National parties has been

varying from '7 to 7 owing to continuous review of the status based on the performance

of the parties" In '=', there were '7 National parties while presently there are ( National

political parties" %he number of National parties was1 in '=( >7?, '=('>B?, and '=(( >?,

'=B* >A?, '=B7>(?, and '=B= >B?, '==' >=?, '==A >B?, '==B and '=== >(? 5*'+>A?" %here

were no National parties in '=A5 and '=A( these were at that time called multi-0tate

parties" It may be noted that political parties in India are also sometimes categori9ed by

observers, academics and political analysts based on their territorial or geographical

representation, such as1 6ll India parties, &egional parties and !ocal parties" %his is done

by them only as a matter of convenience to argue a particular point, or identify them in a

particular way, and do not in any way reflect either any official party classification

recogni9ed by the @overnment or by the lection 2ommission" 0imilarly, any

identification of a party on the basis of its ideological orientation as a party of the left,

right, center, socialist, communist, communalist or leader- centered, etc" bears no official

recognition"

2.4 Pro,isions &ea)in1 with Party reco1nition+4 ++

1 &epresentation of peoples 6ct, '='


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Representation of peoples act, !"#l

no

#ection

$%rticl

e

Eplanation

' 6rticle

5=6 >'?

D >5?

It is mandatory for any association or body of individuals of India calling itself a

political party to make an application to the lection 2ommission for its registration

as a political party, within thirty days following the date of its formation"

5 6rticle

5=6

>?

%he act also re/uires that the application shall be accompanied by a copy of the

memorandum or rules and regulations of the association or body, by whatever name

called, and such memorandum or rules and regulations shall contain a specific

provision that the association or body shall bear true faith and allegiance to the

2onstitution of India, and to the principles of socialism, secularism and democracy

and would uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India

+ 0ection

5=6>(?

Provides that no association or body shall be registered as a political party under this

0ection unless the memorandum or rules and regulations of such as association or

body conform to these provisions, i"e" the provisions of 0ubsection >? of 0ection 5=6"

%he decision of the 2ommission in this matter is final"

Election #'m(ols )Reser*ation and %llotment+ order !-

7 Para 5

>h?

Political party means an association or body of individual citi9ens of India registered

with the lection 2ommission of India as a political party under 0ection 5=6 of the &"

P" 6ct of '='"

" Para

A6

6 political party shall be treated as a recogni9ed National party, if, and only if, - ither

6" >i? the candidates set up by it, in any four or more 0tates, at the last general

election to the 4ouse of the People, or to the !egislative 6ssembly of the 0tate

concerned, have secured not less than si# percent of the total valid votes polledin their respective 0tates at that general election: and >ii? in addition, it has

returned at least four members to the 4ouse of the People at the aforesaid last

general election from any 0tate or 0tates:8" Its candidates have been elected to the 4ouse of the People, at the last general

election to that 4ouse, from at least two percent of the total number of

parliamentary constituencies in India, any fraction e#ceeding one-half being

counted as one: and >ii? the said candidates have been elected to that 4ouse from

not less than three 0tates"

11 lection 0ymbols >&eservation and 6llotment? order '=AB


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Para A8 political party, other than a National party, shall be treated as a recogni9ed state party

in a 0tate or 0tates, if, and only if, ither

6" >i?the candidates set up by it, at the last general election to the 4ouse of the

People, or to the !egislative 6ssembly of the 0tate concerned, have secured not

less than si# percent of the total valid votes polled in that 0tate at that general

election: and ii" in addition, it has returned at least two members to the

!egislative 6ssembly of the 0tate at the last general election to that 6ssembly:8" It wins at least three percent of the total number of seats in the !egislative

6ssembly of the 0tate, >any fraction e#ceeding one-half being counted as one?,

or at least three seats in the 6ssembly, whichever is more, at the aforesaid

general election"

>%able '1 Provisions $ealing with Party recognition?

2.5 "ationa) Parties and 'e1iona) Parties

India has two types of political parties" Namely:

'"National parties

5" &egional parties"

National arties1 National parties are those which generally have influence all over the

country" It is not necessary that a national party will have e/ual strength in all the states:

it varies from 0tate to 0tate" 6 party is recognised as a national party by the lection

2ommission on the basis of a formula" The political party $hich has sec"red not less

than fo"r percent of the total valid votes in the previo"s general elections at least in fo"r

states is given the stat"s of a national party" %he number of national parties has been

changing" 2urrently in the year 5*', Indian National 2ongress, 8haratiya ;anata Party,

2ommunist Party of India >Mar#ist? 2PI >M?O, 2ommunist Party of India >2PI?, 8ahujan

0amaj Party, and the Nationalist 2ongress Party are national parties'5"

onditions for retainin1 reco1nition as nationa) *arties

12 ikipedia on !ist of political parties in India, Cisit1

http1))en"wikipedia"org)wiki)!istofpoliticalpartiesinIndia >accessed on '5)*+)'?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_India


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%he lection 0ymbols >&eservation and 6llotment? 3rder, '=AB, was promulgated by the

lection 2ommission on +'st 6ugust, '=AB, in e#ercise of its powers under 6rticle +57 of

the 2onstitution and &ules and '* of the 2onduct of lections &ules, '=A'" %he 3rder,

initially, made provisions, both for the registration of political parties and also for their

recognition as National and 0tate parties, and also for the specification and allotment of

election symbols to contesting candidates" %he 2ommission has, from time to time,

keeping in view the changes in the political scenario in the country, brought about

amendments to the 0ymbols 3rder to ensure that the provisions contained therein bear a

realistic ne#us to the democratic set up in the country" %he last major amendment to the

0ymbols 3rder was carried out in '==(, where the 2ommission recognised the

importance of the role being played by 0tate Parties in the countryFs democratic structure

and sought to give, as far as possible, the usage of symbols on an e#clusive basis, all over

the country, for all 0tate parties"

'" !egislative presence is a must for recognition as a National or 0tate party"

5" Kor a National party, it must be the legislative presence in the !ok 0abha, and, for

a 0tate party, the legislative presence must be reflected in the 0tate 6ssembly"

+" In any election, a party can set up a candidate only from amongst its own

members"

7" 6 party, that loses its recognition, shall not lose its symbol immediately, but shall

be given the facility to use that symbol for some time to try and retrieve its status"

&ecognition should be given to a party only on the basis of its own performance

in elections and not because it is a splinter group of some other recognised party"

" %he revised criteria for recognition shall not be applied to the detriment of any of

the e#isting recognised National and 0tate parties" %heir current status asrecognised National or 0tate parties under the pre-revised criteria shall continue,

till it is modified after any future general elections to the 4ouse of the People or

0tate !egislative 6ssemblies"


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A" In formulating these amendments, the 2ommission is clearly of the view that a

National party should have a marked presence in a si9eable portion of the country,

its activities should be widespread, on the basis of which it is able to secure a

reasonable number of votes in different 0tates: and that it must have a reasonable

representation in the 4ouse of the People" 0imilarly, a party, to gain recognition as

a 0tate party, must also have, not only a reasonable following among the electors

in the 0tate, but also a reasonable presence in the !egislative 6ssembly of the

0tate"

(" Eeeping all the above in view, the 2ommission has decided that henceforth a

political party shall be eligible to be recognised as a National party if 1-

i. It secures at least AQ of the valid votes polled in any 7 or more states, at a

general election to the 4ouse of the People or, to the 0tate !egislative

6ssembly: ii" In addition, it wins at least 7 seats in the 4ouse of the People from any 0tate or

0tates"3r:

iii" It wins at least 5Q seats in the 4ouse of the People >i"e", '' seats in the e#isting

4ouse having 7+ members?, and these members are elected from at least +

different 0tates"B" !ikewise, a political party shall be entitled to be recognised as a 0tate party, if 1-

i" It secures at least si# percent >AQ? of the valid votes polled in the 0tate at a

general election, either to the 4ouse of the People or to the !egislative 6ssembly

of the 0tate concerned: andii" In addition, it wins at least two seats in the !egislative 6ssembly of the 0tate

concerned"3r:

iii" It wins at least three percent >+Q? of the total number of seats in the !egislative

6ssembly of the 0tate, or at least three seats in the 6ssembly, whichever is

more'+"

'e1iona) Parties3 4owever, there are other parties in India, which do not enjoy national

influence" %heir activities and influence are restricted to particular states or regions"

13 2 in press meeting


19/49

P a g e | 19

0ometimes these parties are formed to voice demands of a specific region" %hese parties

are neither weak nor short-lived" 0ometimes they prove to be very powerful in their

respective regions" %hese are known as regional parties" Major regional parties are

6I6$ME and $ME in %amil Nadu, %elugu $esam in 6ndhra Pradesh, 6kali $al in

Punjab, National 2onference in ;ammu and Eashmir, ;harkhand Mukti Morcha in

;harkhand, 6som @ana Parishad in 6ssam and Nationalist 2ongress Party and 0hiv 0ena

in Maharashtra" 6bout the regional parties you will read in the following lesson .

Present Scenario

%he lection 2ommission has called a meeting with BSP, N2P and 2PI, to hear their

views on a show cause notice to withdraw their


20/49

P a g e | 20

could not manage to accomplish either of the remaining two" 4aving met one criterion, it

may have a chance to retain its national status but nothing is certain until 2Mar#ist?

4ammer, 0ickle and 0tar

'=A7 Prakash Earat = ) 7+

7 2ommunist

Party of

India

ars of 2orn and 0ickle '=5 0uravaram

0udhakar

&eddy

' ) 7+

8ahujan

0amaj Party

lephant >In all 0tates)U"%"s

e#cept in the 0tate of 6ssam,

'=B7 Mayawati * ) 7+

15 0#e indu, )e* 1, 215

16 0! on 2814.

17 0upra '5


21/49

P a g e | 21

where its candidates will have

to choose a symbol from out

of the list of free symbols

specified by the 2ommission?

A Nationalist2ongress

Party

2lock '=== 0harad Pawar A ) 7+

Table 2% &ational parties '(o"rce% http%))en.$i*ipedia.org)$i*i)+ist,of,political,parties,in,-ndia

2. Procedure for 'e1istration of a *o)itica) Party

'" 6n application for registration is to be submitted to the 0ecretary, lection

2ommission of India, Nirvachan 0adan, 6shoka &oad, New $elhi-''***'- in the

Performa prescribed by the 2ommission" %he Performa is available on re/uest by post

or across the counter from the office of the 2ommission" %he application should be

neatly typed on the partyFs letter head, if any, and it should be sent by registered post

or presented personally to the 0ecretary to the lection 2ommission within thirty days

following the date of formation of the party"5"

+" %he application must be accompanied by the following documents)information1-i" 6 demand draft for &s" '*,***)- >&upees %en %housand 3nly? on account of

processing fee drawn in favour of Under 0ecretary, lection 2ommission of India,

New $elhi" %he processing fee is non-refundable"ii" 6 neatly typed)printed copy of the memorandum)rules and

regulations)2onstitution of the Party containing a specific provision as re/uired

under sub-section >? of 0ection 5=6 of the &epresentation of the People 6ct,

'=' in the e#act terms, which reads ------------- -->name of the party? shall bear

true faith and allegiance to the constitution of India as by law established, and to

the principles of socialism, secularism and democracy and would uphold the

sovereignty, unity and integrity of India" %he above mandatory provision must be

included in the te#t of party constitution)rules and regulations)memorandum itself

as one of the 6rticles)clauses"


22/49

P a g e | 22

iii" %he copy of the party 2onstitution should be duly authenticated on each page by

the @eneral 0ecretary)President)2hairman of the Party and the seal of the

signatory should be affi#ed thereon"iv" %here should be a specific provision in the 2onstitution)rules and

regulations)memorandum of the party regarding organi9ational elections at

different levels and the periodicity of such elections and terms of office of the

office-bearers of the party"v" %he procedure to be adopted in the case of merger)dissolution should be

specifically provided in the 2onstitution)rules and regulations)memorandum"vi" 2ertified e#tracts from the latest electoral rolls in respect of at least '** members

of the party >including all office-bearers)members of main decision-making

organs like #ecutive 2ommittee)#ecutive 2ouncil? to show that they are

registered electors"vii" 6n affidavit duty signed by the President)@eneral 0ecretary of the party and

affirmed before a Kirst 2lass Magistrate)3ath 2ommissioner?) Notary Public to

the effect that no member of the party is a member of any other political party

registered with the 2ommission"viii" Individual affidavits from at least '** members of the party to the effect that the

said member is a registered elector and that he is not a member of any other

political party registered with the 2ommission duly sworn before a Kirst 2lass

Magistrate)3ath 2ommissioner?)Notary Public" %hese affidavits shall be in

addition to the furnishing of certified e#tracts of electoral rolls in respect of the

'** members of the applicant party mentioned at >vi? above"i#" Particulars of 8ank accounts in the name of the party"

7" %he application along with all the re/uired documents mentioned above must be reach

the 0ecretary to the 2ommission within +* days following the date of formation of the

party'B"

2.! haracteristics of Indian Party System

18 @uidelines and application format for &egistration of political parties under 0ection 5=6 of

the &epresentation of the People 6ct, '='"


23/49

P a g e | 23

'" M0lti7art' #'stem1 Indian political party system happens to be a Multi-Party

0ystem" 6t present there are + National parties'=, ' state parties5* and '(*=

recognised parties5'" In '=5, the number of small and national political parties was

5" 0ince, the formation of political parties in India is highly personali9ed it is

commented that, there are as many political parties in India as there are political

leaders"5" #in4le art' Dominant #'stem1 %he functioning of Indian political party system

displays the dominance of one party amongst multitudes of political parties operating

in the system"+" Eistence of /omm0nal parties and /aste (ased arties 1 In the Indian political

scene, there has been in e#istence parties based on caste and religion" Kor e#ample,

6kali $al, 4indu Mahasabha, Muslim !eague, 0hiv 0ena etc" 6lso, we find that

certain parties are organised on the basis of the support of certain caste groups" 6s a

conse/uence, the general public interest is undermined and the sectional, communal

and caste interest prevails over the party" 6lso, it has generated animosity among

different castes and communities"7" Importance of Re4ional arties1 India is a land of diverse cultures and traditions" In

the midst of national parties having reach over different regions, there are regional

parties which have wide support in their respective regions" %elgu $esam in 6ndhra

Pradesh, $ME and 6I$Mk in %amil Nadu, 6@P in 6ssam etc are the e#amples of

some of the regional parties" %he regional parties are more pronounced in the 0outh

India and the North astern part of the country" Usually, their operation and influence

is confined to regional politics but in '==*s, these parties have got a foothold in the

national politics also" %he increasing role and influence of regional parties in the

national politics underlines a new trend in the party system of India"

1/ Names of &ecognised National and 0tate Parties, &egistered-unrecogni9ed parties" lection

2ommission of India" '5 March 5*'7" &etrieved ( 3ctober 5*'7" ,

2 Names of &ecognised National and 0tate Parties, &egistered-unrecogni9ed parties" lection

2ommission of India" 'A 0eptember 5*'7" &etrieved ( 3ctober 5*'7

21 2I Notification for Political Parties registered after 'A"*="5*'7 till 5A"*="5*'7" lection

2ommission of India" 5A 0eptember 5*'7" &etrieved 5* 3ctober 5*'7"


24/49

P a g e | 24

" 8actionalism, Defection and #plit1 6lmost all the political parties are suffering or

have suffered from factionalism, defections and splits in the course of time" %he

problem of defection has been sought to be dealt with by 5nd and ='st amendments

to the 2onstitution of India"

A" 9eak :pposition arties and 6ack of ;nit' amon4 :pposition arties1 to a great

e#tent, the success of Parliamentary democracy depends upon the role of responsible

opposition parties, which check and ensure the accountability of the ruling party" 8ut,

in India, the opposition parties have been weal and fragile due to multitudes of

political parties and lack of unity among political parties"

6.7 Si1nificance of Parties and some facts about the *arties in India

/o$ do $e eval"ate the performance of partiesH

• Parties in India on the whole acted as key agencies of democratic transformation in

the country" In a society that had a long history of social ine/ualities and dogged by

poverty and backwardness it is not easy to bring freedoms to all in an e/ual measure

that too in a swift manner" 6t the time India became a republic, the democratic

political structure came in a big way" Its polity was much ahead of its social and

economic structure" !eaders of India were aware of this contradiction between

political democracy and socio-economic structure" Political parties had precisely

tried to grapple with this new situation and tasks" 2hange in social relations and

values cannot be brought in a second nor can the pace be forced at will" In any

democracy it has to happen only through reconciliation of all sections to the

changing realities, which is more slow and irritating to those who want rapid radical

changes"

• Parties populari9ed notions of e/uality and freedom among people and also

moderated the e#treme demands for individual liberty and social e/uality" 8oth

change and stability are important" %hus, even those parties that stood for radical

changes are compelled to implement incremental changes when came to power"

• hen a party came to power it took sufficient care to see that different castes,

communities and geographical regions get represented in the government" Parties did

use social identities, such as caste, region and religion for electoral purposes" 3n the

surface, it appears that parties have e#acerbated social divisions and tensions for

their narrow interests"


25/49

P a g e | 25

• 8y mobilising people around slogans of justice and e/uality and articulating the

interests of the socially disadvantaged and deprived groups, parties could bring them

into the political arena as partners, moderate social cleavages, and mitigate tension"

• Parties enabled the democratic institutions in India to work with a large measure of

success" %he parties in the initial years of post-Independence did work for the

realisation of the noble objectives of the Indian 2onstitution" Parties grappled with

the sudden e#pansion of democracy in '=* through the sanctioning of basic

freedoms and adult franchise"

• 8i-party system would make the ruling party more responsible towards their duties

and actions as any sort of apathy could leave to a protest from the other party that

could take advantage of the situation" %here shall be much lesser confusion within

the system and for people too while casting their votes as there shall be fewer

options" Most importantly, in a bi-party system, the ideologies of the parties shall be

concentrated towards the development of the entire nation rather than for the

individual demands of a set of people"

• In a bi-party system, the two political parties contesting in an election shall not have

to resort to methods of political gimmicks to prove their worth" It is either you are

worthy or you are not" %here shall be no in between clause for confusion" %he

smaller parties in a multi-party system often fail to secure a position of their own

and hence offer support to the major parties of which the nation always remains

dubious" %he best e#ample of such an imbroglio is the current situation when 66P

is doubted to be a surreptitious part of the 2ongress"

• 6nother advantage of bi-party system is swiftness in making laws and policies or

for passing a bill" %hese are delayed in a multi-party system since there is much

antagonism that sometimes make no sense but are still a reason for a haul" It is high

time when India must overlay a way to bi-party system if changes are to happen in

present conditions"

0ince independence, India has proudly been following the democratic form of

government which is believed to be possible only if multiple parties have the authority to

contest in election" No doubt, the constitution of India laid down these policies to provide

e/ual opportunity to individuals and parties to render their contribution to the

development of the nation" %he /uestion now is has -ndia really benefitted from the


26/49

P a g e | 26

m"lti0party system that is being follo$ed over the yearsH %here are indeed some

advantages of a multi-party system like ensuring democracy to the people of all regions

and religions, allowing flow of ideas and concepts, and e/ual opportunity to prove the

worth of a party" 8ut the disadvantages of a multi-party system are comparably too many

and un/uestionably shadow the integrity of the prevailing system"

2. Summary

%he party system in India is originated from the desire and 9eal of the western educated

intellectuals in the late '=th century to form associations for social reforms" %he Indian

national 2ongress was resulted of this enthusiasm, as some prominent individuals in the

three presidencies felt the need for an organi9ation that approached the government on

behalf of the people to make them aware of their re/uirements" 4owever, at that time, it

was transformed into a movement representing the length and breadth as well as social

heterogeneity of the country" It also brought together different points of views and

ideologies, and in the process functioned as a composite party system"

%he emergence of the Muslim !eague and religion-based nationalism gave firm

foundation to the spirit of the party system in the country" hether and where the

2ongress party went wrong in tackling the politics of the !eague and whether or not it

was possible to prevent the partition of the subcontinent is a contentious /uestion"

4owever, it is absolutely clear that in the triangular politics of colonial India, as 8ritish

discovered the Muslim !eague as a perfect foil to the 2ongress, the process of laying the

foundation of the party system in the country were set in motion" %he emergence of the

entire spectrum of political ideologies also created a firm based on the party system in the

country" %he 2ongress itself represented political beliefs from the right of the centre to

the left of the centre" 3rgani9ationally too, the parties began relating to each other as theydo in a mature democracy" %rue, India remained a one party dominant system for over

four decades of its post-independence history but seeds of a comple# party system were

sown during pre-independence politics"


27/49

P a g e | 27

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

ha*ter 6

Mu)ti-*arty system in India

7.+ Introduction%he world of political parties in India seems to be in an unending flu#" Parties have been

coming into e#istence and going out of e#istence" %hey have been splitting and coming

together" ven those parties that appear to be stable in name have undergone important

changes in their content and internal arrangement of constituent elements" %he terms

fragmentation and federalisation are often used to characterise this situation" %his

transformation is often seen in terms of several transitional points L from the emergence

of one party dominant system to its break down, to incoherent multiparty system to the

present two coalitional multiparty systems" 3ver the past five decades, party competition

has increased" In their fight for gaining or retaining power, often they pursued adversarial

politics with confrontationist postures, policies and programmes" 6t the same time they

e#hibited a great deal of fle#ibility in shifting stands and alliances when it comes to

winning elections or sharing power" %his transformation can be also understood in terms

of changes in the internal structuring and functioning of parties" $ecline in the /uality of

leadership, increasing criminality and corruption among party leaders, undermining of constitutional and democratic institutions by both ruling and opposition parties, growth of

factionalism, stifling of internal democracy, concentration of power in a single leader, etc"

It could be also understood in terms of the social bases of parties and the shifts in them,

strategies and tactics adopted by party leadership in managing people and government,

and in winning elections and forming governments" @rowth of populism, appeals to


28/49

P a g e | 28

sentiments such as caste, religion, region, tribe and language, use of money, muscle

power and other allurements and recourse to electoral and political malpractices to gain

or retain power are some aspects of these phenomena" Meanin13 6 multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the

capacity to gain control of government offices, separately or in coalition" 6 coalition

government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties

cooperate, reducing the dominance of any one party within that coalition" %he usual

reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the

parliament" 6 coalition government might also be created in a time of national difficulty

or crisis, for e#ample during wartime, or economic crisis, to give a government the high

degree of perceived political legitimacy, or collective identity it desires while also

playing a role in diminishing internal political strife

55

"6t the national level India


29/49

P a g e | 29

associations for the purpose of fighting for national independence" In most of such

countries, the party that led nationalist movement, after attaining independence, could

place restrictions on or prohibit other parties and establish one party system because of

the absence of other political formations with popular support strong enough to maintain

a competitive framework" %he party system in India, however, had taken a different

trajectory" %he factors that contributed to the sustenance of democratic politics also had

contributed to the sustenance of parties and party competition in the country" %hese

factors inhibited forces such as military, bureaucracy and landed gentry to usurp power in

India, as happened in several other post-colonial countries57"!ong e#perience in mobilising and organising people, working of political parties and

politics of representation during freedom struggle kept the parties in India in good stead

after Independence" Parties emerged as hybrids on the Indian soil under the influence of western political ideas and practice during the colonial condition, and ac/uired

characteristics of their own in the process of development" 8y the time the country

became independent, it had several parties competing with each other, although the

Indian National 2ongress had an imposing presence5" 2ongress is the oldest party in

6sia, and older than several other parties in the est" %he socialists too had wide

networks during the freedom struggle" Kor a long time they worked as groups inside the

2ongress" %hey formed separate parties soon after Independence" Parties such as the

0hiromani 6kali $al, National 2onference, Korward 8loc, &evolutionary 0ocialist Party,

the $ravida Ea9hagam, etc that emerged during the 5*s, +*s and 7*s could capture power

24 E"2" 0uri, Parties under Pressure1 Political Parties in India 0ince Independence, $epartment

of Political 0cience, Nagarjuna University.

25 %he ;ustice Party was formed in '='( with a view to mobilise non-8rahman sections of the

them Madras Presidency: the 0hiromani 6kali $al was formed in '=5' to establish 0ikh control

over gurudwaras: the 4indu Maha 0abha in '=5 to protect the rights of the 4indus: National

2onference in '=+5 to promote the rights of Eashmiri Muslims: Unionist Party was formed in

Punjab in '=+A: the 2ommunist Party of India as formed in '=5: the 2ongress 0ocialist Party in

'=+: the Korward 8loc in '=+=: the &evolutionary 0ocialist Party in '=7*: the &adical

$emocratic Party by M"N" &oy in '=75: and the 0cheduled 2astes Kederation in '=7*s to serve

the interests of the downtrodden castes" 3f course the Muslim !eague was formed in '=* and,

after a long period of mild constitutional activity, became an active contestant of the 2ongress in

its claim to represent the interests of the Muslims" 6fter the partition it was soon revived in '=7B,

although largely confined to Eerala"


30/49

P a g e | 30

in the A*s and later" 8y the time the first general elections were held, India was vibrant

with several political parties, articulating different standpoints and competing for power"

+ political parties participated in the first @eneral lections, although most of them

vanished within a decade or reappeared in new incarnations later 5A"

%he nature of Indian economy and the changes that were brought about after India

became Independent are also important in sustaining party democracy" 8y the time India

became Independent, it was the most industrially developed nation among the former

colonies or the new nations that came into e#istence in the continents of 6sia, 6frica and

!atin 6merica" 6lthough the industrial base was not widespread or strong enough to give

rise to a national economy, its growth during the inter-ar period gave sufficient scope

for the operation of parties at the national level" %he country had a developed middle

class, mostly trained in the values of western liberalism, which could articulate theinterests of the nation and different sections of society" %he progressive legislation and

policies pursued by governments especially that of land reforms, industrial development

through planning and promotion of public sector, had transformed social relations and

thinking" %he policy of non-alignment provided space for autonomy in economic policy-

making and maneuverability in political matters freeing the country to some e#tent from

the pressures of imperialistic countries that led to political troubles in several developing

countries" %he presence of enlightened leaders in parties and their readiness to follow the

rules of electoral democracy and to accommodate the representatives of upcoming social

groups in their fold helped the party system to consolidate in the initial years" 6lso the

ability of people to see the rationale of the newly established democratic institutions and

their willingness to make use of them for their advancement also helped the stability of

the parties in India" People of the lower classes and castes saw electoral democracy as

means to improve their lives, to secure a share in power: the upper classes)castes also

tended to be accommodative, rather than refusing to reconcile to the changing realities"

Principles of socialism, e/uality and democracy, to which most parties adhered to, paved

the way for the success of $emocratic Party politics in the country"

3.3 &e,e)o*ment of Mu)ti-Party System

26 0upra 5*


31/49

P a g e | 31

%he evolution of parties and party system in India after Independence may be viewed

broadly as consisting of four phases, with each phase having its genesis in the earlier one

and flowing into the ne#t one1'" Period of 2ongress consolidation and dominance >'=5-A(?:

5" 2onsolidation of opposition parties and emergence of multi-party system >'=A(-B=?:

+" Period of flu# >'=B=-=B?:7" 0haping of coalitional party system >'==B onwards?"

'" Phase I -Period of on1ress conso)idation and dominance 9+:;2-


32/49

P a g e | 32

party" 5(%hey spoke of its accommodative and integrative nature" %he consolidation of the

2ongress and the weak opposition led to a belief that the 2ongress system was invincible"

4owever, the beauty of democracy lies in its ability to provide ground for the working

out of the opposition to the dominant idea or institution" 6longside the blossoming of the

2ongress dominance, we notice the sprouting of the second phase" New opposition

parties began to emerge in the '=*s and '=A*s" 0everal leaders within the 2ongress,

who were either disgruntled with the policies of the party or denied access to power went

out of it and formed separate parties L 0ocialist parties, Eisan Ma9door Praja Party

>EMPP?, Erishikar !ok Party >E!P?, 8angla 2ongress, Eerala 2ongress, ;ana 2ongress

in 3rissa, 0watantra, 8haratiya Eranti $al, etc" 3ther parties, rooted in long-standing

anti-2ongress orientations, also began to gain strength1 06$ in Punjab, Muslim !eague

in Eerala, $ME in %amil Nadu, National 2onference in ;ammu D Eashmir, etc" %he

2ommunist party too split on the /uestion on support to the 2ongress party and those

who took a vehement anti-2ongress position, saying that defeat of the 2ongress was

necessary for the advancement of peopleFs democracy in the country, formed the 2PM in

'=A7, which within in three years became the ruling party in 8engal and Eerala5B"

5" Phase 2 - onso)idation of o**osition *arties and emer1ence of mu)ti-*arty system

9+::=3 %he first strain became visible in '=A( in fourth general election, when post

Nehru era it won only 7*"(B Q vote and 7"A5 Q seat" %he party also lost power in eight

states" %he land reforms in late '=*s, emergence of new landowners on political scene

created an impact on the electoral outcome in second half of '=A*s" %he political

awakening of these new classes strengthened democracy and lead to increased

participation of peasants in the political process" In '=A=, due to growing the party split"

6s no other group was in the position to fill the vacuum created by the 2ongress, the

group under leadership of Mrs" @andhi and a group of Roung %urks. regained power"4owever, the Mrs" @andhiFs era, was characteri9ed by a pyramidal decision-making

body emphasi9ed by her own image, undermining and dismantling established structure

27 Kot#ari, 1/64 orris($ones, 1/64 Ko#ane, 1/68.

28 0upra 5*


33/49

P a g e | 33

of the party, confrontations approach towards other parties leading to dissolve of

assemblies ruled by opposition parties as well as its own party" $uring this period, the

crude and brutal way in which central leadership of the 2ongress party resorted to pull

down its own government in the states and unceremonious ways in which the 2ongress

2hief Ministers were removed, further reflects the narrowing of political space"4owever, a determined opposition effectively e#ploited the contradictions of a

centrali9ed and weakened 2ongress to put it on mat taking advantage of rising

corruption and mounting popular discontent on account 'B months long internal

emergency" 5=%he polari9ation of opposition parties into ;anata Party in the elections

leads to an ouster of 2ongress from power as the people for the first time had a loose

alternative with least division of votes" %he dual member ship issue of 8;0 >of the party

and &ashtriya 0wayamsevak 0angh? rocked the ;anata Party, which lead to its split in'=(= by 2haran 0ingh and his supporters and ultimate down fall of the government

shortly" 4owever, the collapse of ;anata e#periment within two years and return of Mrs"

@andhi with overwhelming majority meant that a final social and political realignment

to give a definite shape to an Indian party system was still far away"'=B* witnessed another significant development, the creation of 8haratiya ;anata Party

>8;P?, which in a way addressed the problem of duel membership of 8;0" $uring the

period '=B*-B= ruled by 2ongress, significant development took place like assassination

of Mrs" @andhi in '=B7 followed by 6nti-0ikh riots, general elections and rise on

political scene of &ajiv @andhi by even garnering the support of &00" 8;P under the

leader ship of 6tal 8ihari Cajpayee was adopting @andhian 0ocialism" %he ;anata Party

and its variants were competing with 2ongress >I? for centrist space" %he 2ongress >I?

too shifted its ideological posture to court the 4indu Majority vote across north India"

$ue to compulsion of C4P and &00, the locks of &am Mandir in 6yodhya were opened,

and darshan was allowed" !ater in '=B=, the 0hilanyas of Mandir was also allowed" %he

8oforFs case+* also impacted the political realignment and consolidation"

+" Phase 6 - Period of f)u? 9+:>:-:> % %he period '=B=-=A, witnessed three governments,

CP 0ingh led National Kront >;anata $al?, coalition government with outside support from

!eft and 8;P, 2handrasekharFs rump government with outside support from 2ongress >I?,

2/ ;une '=(-;anuary '=((


34/49

P a g e | 34

and a full-term 2ongress >I? government led by PC Narshimha &ao, which began as a

minority government but managed the majority through defection allegedly by bribing the

defecting MPs" %he period e#perienced e#pansion among the socially underprivileged, the

backward castes and the dalits towards political awakening" !eading to implementation of

Mandal 2ommission reports and reservation for the 8ackwards in @overnment ;obs" %he

largest Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was ruled more than once in '==*s and even

thereafter by parties and coalitions championing the cause of backwards >0P?, and dalits

>80P?, which indicated the silent revolution taking place through the ballot in India" %he

8ihar has been ruled throughout last decade of twentieth century by such forces

represented by !alu Prasad Radav" Not only do these social groups have leaders and

parties representing their cause, increasingly" National parties also resorted to ethnic

strategies of political mobili9ation to seek their support" $espite &ajiv @andhiFs

assassination and lack of absolute majority in '==' !ok 0abha elections, the 2ongress >I?

sorted out the leadership issues and under leadership P C Narshimha &ao completed the

five-year term by '==A" In the process, the party suffered as the 2ongress >I? attempted to

gain majority through defections allegedly by bribing the defecting MPs, which created

the huge furor in public" 0imultaneously, the 8;PFs political stock soared due to its

relatively clean image, seat adjustment with National Kront in '=B= and !" E" 6dvaniFs

&ath Ratra in '==*+' for &am temple in 6yodhya, which made it Main 3pposition party in

'*th !ok 0abha and emerged as a single largest party in ''th !ok 0abha in '==A and

3 %he 8ofors scandal was a major political scandal that occurred between 0weden and India

during '=B*s and '==*s, initiated by 2ongress politicians and implicating the Indian Prime

Minister, &ajiv @andhi and several other members of the 0wedish and Indian governments who

were accused of receiving kickbacks from 8ofors 68 for winning a bid to supply Indiaaccessed on '5)*+)'?"

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/1990-L.K.+Advani's+rath+yatra:+Chariot+of+fire/1/76389.htmlhttp://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/1990-L.K.+Advani's+rath+yatra:+Chariot+of+fire/1/76389.htmlhttp://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/1990-L.K.+Advani's+rath+yatra:+Chariot+of+fire/1/76389.htmlhttp://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/1990-L.K.+Advani's+rath+yatra:+Chariot+of+fire/1/76389.html


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P a g e | 35

success in getting an invitation to form @overnment by President" 4owever, still short of

absolute majority, as it could not attract any supporter to sustain it, the government fell

within the short period" %his e#perience proved crucial for its coalition strategies later"0ubse/uently, National Kront >a thirteen party coalition led by ;anata $al? with outside

support from the 2ongress >I? remained in power during '==A-=B" 3n fall off the

@overnment in '==B the 8;P itself under leadership of 6" 8" Cajpayee, entered into

coalition of 'B parties known since then as National $emocratic 6lliance, which though

formed government but fell by one vote as one of the allies pulled out of coalition in

'===" 6s a result, effort by 8;P and N$6 to secure the majority in '=== elections was far

greater" 3bviously, the party system in India, have become highly competitive more

democrati9ed, in which parties depending on their social bases, internal organi9ation and

ideologies have developed comple# mode of interactions for their coe#istence" In thisgame of coalition during the period, the 8;P has been able to gasp the reality of coalition

and federalism better than the 2ongress"%he decline of the 2ongress was not so much in terms of its own base, as it was in terms

its total neglect of the need to see the writing on the wall" %he arty kept on insisting on

fighting elections alone and indeed decried the coalition arrangement as unworkable and

unstable" %he 2ongress ultimately reali9ed and put into practice the coalition strategy in a

better way than 8;P in 5**7 election and succeeded in coming back to power" If we

analyses the polling data and voting patterns of '==*Fs elections, there is clear indication

of voter -24+7=3 %he growth of the 8;P after

'=B= and its coming to power in '==B indeed marked a turning point in the history of

party politics in the country" %hat the difference between the first and second parties was

reduced to almost to 9ero showed that the 8;PFs performance was not a one-time affair"


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P a g e | 36

%he rapid e#pansion in the electoral support for the 8;P and sudden increase in the

number of its MPs in the Parliament, and its ability to forge alliances with several parties

to come to power marked the party politics of the '==*s" e saw the emergence of

bipolarities in the 0tates and at the 2entre" hile in the 0tates it is in the form of a

competition between two parties or between two competing alliances, at the national

level it was mainly a competition between competing alliances" 6s the 8;P gained

strength, the effort by the ;anata $al and other regional parties of the United Kront to

work with the third alternative >to the 2ongress and the 8;P? proved to be in vain" %he

tri-nodal party system that raised hopes in the '==*s got slowly melted away" %he

formation of alliances and coalition governments at the National and 0tate levels

accompanied in a new phase in party competition and cooperation" It is ama9ing that

N$6 government at the 2entre during '===-5**7 had about 5 partners in it" allowing

in its former glory, the 2ongress party wanted to come to power on its own" 8ut on the

eve of 5**7 !ok 0abha elections it finally realised that it could not do so and forged

alliances with 'A parties" %he ability to rope in the support of the regional and small

parties and their electoral performance decided the fate of the National parties" In 5**7

elections, a loss of few allies and the poor performance of two or three of its partner 0tate

parties caused an electoral disaster for the N$6" %he reverse saw the 2ongress forming

the government >Radav, 5**7?" %hus, the alliance affect became crucial in the defeat and

victory of parties at the national and 0tate levels" %he 2ongress allies added about '* per

cent to the UP6, while the 8;P allies added about '7 per cent to the N$6"2oalitions in India at the national level seem to survive because1

a" they are socially and politically broad based and territorially representative: b" consolidation of coalitions compel parties to join one or the other formation:c" the presence of a major party, as the mainstay around which all other parties

revolve, ensures stability:d" a common programme provides framework for policy:e" pre-poll alliances bind the parties under a moral obligation to remain with the

coalition: andf" coalition partners are willing to learn lessons from e#perience


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P a g e | 37

India held general elections to the 'th !ok 0abha in five phases between 'A 6pril 5**=

and '+ May 5**=, with an electorate of ('7 million +5" 8y constitutional re/uirement,

elections to the !ok 0abha must be held every five years, or whenever Parliament is

dissolved by the President of India" lections are organised by the lection 2ommission

of India and are normally held in multiple phases to better handle the large electoral base

and its security concerns" %he United Progressive 6lliance >UP6? led by the Indian

National 2ongress formed the government after obtaining the majority of seats based on

strong results in 6ndhra Pradesh, Eerala, Maharashtra, &ajasthan, %amil Nadu, Uttar

Pradesh and est 8engal" Manmohan 0ingh became the prime minister ++" %he UP6 was

able to put together a comfortable majority with support from +55 members out of 7+

members of the 4ouse" %hough this is less than the ++ members who supported the UP6

in the last parliament, UP6 alone had a plurality of over 5A* seats as opposed to 5'B seats

in the '7th !ok 0abha" 4ence the government appeared to be more stable than the

previous one" %here was an e#ternal support gained from the 8ahujan 0amaj Party >80P?,

0amajwadi Party >0P?, ;anata $al >0ecular? >;$>0??, &ashtriya ;anata $al >&;$? and

other minor parties"

%he Indian general election of 5*'7 was held to constitute the 'Ath !ok 0abha, electing

members of parliament for all 7+ parliamentary constituencies of India" &unning in nine

phases from ( 6pril to '5 May 5*'7, it was the longest election in the country


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P a g e | 38

the highest ever in the history of Indian general elections" %he results were declared on

'A May, fifteen days before the 'th !ok 0abha completed its constitutional mandate on

+' May 5*'7" %he National $emocratic 6lliance, led by the 8haratiya ;anata Party, won

a sweeping victory, taking ++A seats" %he 8;P itself won +'"*Q of all votes and 5B5

>'"=Q? of all seats" +%he United Progressive 6lliance, led by the Indian National

2ongress, won B seats, 77 >B"'Q? of which were won by the 2ongress, that won '="+Q

of all votes" It was the 2ongress party0ecular?

M2 5 5 5B ;uly '=(= 5* 6ugust'=(=

5+

+ ;anata $al-led

National Kront

M2 + 5 $ecember

'=B=

( November

'==*

+7*

7 0amajwadi

;anata Party

0PM@ ' '* November

'==*

A March '==' ''A

2ongress '(7' 0PM@ ' 5' ;une '==' 5( March

'==A

'(7'

A 8;P-led coalition M2 + 'A May '==A 5B May '==A '5

( UK under 4"$" M2 = ' ;une '==A 5' 6pril '==( +57

35 It is the first time since the '=B7 Indian general elections that a party has won enough seats to

govern without the support of other parties"

36 " 0ridharan, hy are multi-party minority governments viable in IndiaH %heory and

comparison a University of Pennsylvania Institute for the 6dvanced 0tudy of India, New $elhi,

India, Cisit http1))www"tandfonline"com)loi)fccp5* >accessed on 'A)*+)'?"

http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/fccp20http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/fccp20http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/fccp20


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P a g e | 39

$eve @owda

B UK under I"E"

@ujral

M2 '* 5' 6pril '==( 5B November

'==(

55'

= 8;P-led coalition M2 '' '= March '==B '( 6pril '=== +=7

'* N$6 M2 '5 '+ 3ctober

'===

5= Kebruary

5**7

'==

'' UP6 I M2 = 55 May 5**7 5 March 5**= '(7

'5 UP6 II M2 A 55 May 5**= 55 May 5*'7

" Phase ;3 'eturn of one Party &ominance3 %he 5*'7 !ok 0abha election is remarkable

for three reasons"

• 3ne, for the first time in IndiaFs electoral history a non-2ongress party has come

into power on its own"

• %wo, a political party has won a majority for the first time in thirty years, i"e"

since '=B7" In the period between then and now coalition governments ruled at

the 2entre" 0mall and mainly regional parties clustered around the two national

parties, the 2ongress and the 8;P, to form coalitions, namely the UP6 and the

>N$6?"

• %hree, for the first time in thirty years, or since the death of Ms Indira @andhi, the

image of a charismatic leader looms larger than his or her party, and dominates

Indian politics in general" !ike Ms @andhi did earlier, Mr Modi has caught the

imagination of Indians across class and caste"

6fter '=B=, political pundits had declared that henceforth India would be governed by

coalitions, that the days of the one-party dominance of the 2ongress were definitively

over, and that the two national parties, the 2ongress and the 8;P, would never be able to

secure a majority on their own" %he era of coalition politics had catapulted to the

forefront the political agendas of regional parties that are more or less confined to their

states" 3n their own none of these parties can form a government at the national level,

simply because they are state-centric" 8ut in alliance with either of the two national

parties, regional parties managed to wield considerable clout, even if they had only two

or three members in Parliament" 6s a signifier of a U-turn in Indian politics, this election

has brought back the one-party dominant system

+"7 Summary


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%he kind of comple#ity and disputes that arise due to multiple parties competing for

power totally hinders the democracy part of the system" $emocracy was created to ensure

peace and e/uality amongst people and not to divide people on the basis of region and

religion" India has people of various religion speaking different languages and this

becomes the weapon of the political parties" It doesnFt take much to move a mob against

their rival group with a promise of support and development to them" People blindly

believe what is being said to them and what more could we e#pect given that the majority

of the population in India are poor and illiterate" 8i-party system as in U0 and other

countries would ensure a more stable government and lesser political gimmicks as there

shall be only one competitor in the field" 6nd of course, lesser government treasure shall

be spent in election campaigns" The country needs *o)itica))y aware *eo*)e and not

hundreds of *o)iticians contestin1 from different states and re1ionsB "

Political and party elites use money and muscle power as means to overcome the

problems of mass democracy" !ike the way the method of representation had been

invented to overcome the inconveniences of direct democracy and keep power safely in

the hands of the elites, party leaders may be resorting to the use of money and muscle

power to get through the elections in a mass democracy" In the olden days structured

violence and social domination were helpful to win elections" %he increasing role of

money and criminals in party and electoral process are talked about widely today" 0everal

party leaders are also acutely aware of this problem" %he 0peaker of the !ok 0abha, on

the occasion of @olden ;ubilee of Indian Independence, spoke of the need to wage a

second freedom struggle to end corruption and criminality in politics" %he then President

of India spoke about this" %he Cohra 2ommittee pointed out the politician-police-criminal

ne#us in the country" %he 2hief Cigilance 3fficer is sei9ed with the matter" Indira @andhi

described it as a global phenomenon, but we find it assuming horrendous proportions in

this country" %here is a growing concern about the declining /uality of leadership:

increasingly inability of parties to intervene in policy process and policy making in the

representative bodies: and the way party functionaries desert, split and destroy parties for

their selfish ends" Parties have come to be increasingly looked upon by leaders,

functionaries and supporters as means to fulfill personal interests"


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P a g e | 41

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

ha*ter 7

om*arati,e study of

Sin1)e Party &ominance and oa)ition Go,ernments

4.1 Introduction

%he phrase the one-party dominant system. was originally fashioned by the noted

political analyst &ajni Eothari to capture a phenomenon peculiar to electoral politics in

India, and to the 2ongress party in particular" IndiaFs electoral system, wrote Eothari in

'=(*, appro#imates neither to the established model of the two-party or multi-party

system, nor to that of the one-party system" Kor almost two decades after independence,

the 2ongress, which had led the freedom struggle in the country, controlled the central as

well as state governments" %he domination of the 2ongress and the lack of a viable

opposition in Parliament could have caused concern, as the one-party system did in many

0ub-0aharan countries" Eothari, however, rescued Indian democracy from the negative

connotation attached to one-party rule in closed and authoritarian systems" 4e suggested

that the 2ongress was an umbrella party: a coalition of interest groups that often opposed


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each other within the party" Party decisions were therefore the outcome of a compromise

between different and incommensurate views, forged through intricate processes of

mediation and arbitration within the party" %he opposition was there, within the party,

even if it was not a significant presence in Parliament+(.

$hat is coa)ition *o)iticsC 2oalition politics is something where no party gets a definite

majority re/uired to form the government in the elections" It mainly happens in a multi-

party system like which India follows" 4ere there are more than 5 parties competing for

the same spot in the same constituencies which makes it difficult for any single

candidates to get the re/uired cutoff" 0imilarly the party will also fail to get the re/uired

number of seats to form a government" %his never occurs in a 5 party system followed by

many countries where one party wins while the other loses" %here is definite result which

will occur in the elections"

4.2 om*arison of Dasic (eatures

#ne-*arty dominant system6> Mu)ti-Party Systems

37 "ani Kot#ari, 0#e ongress 9S+ste:; in !ndiaee:*er1/64', ?. 1161(1173. 0#e argu:ent -as e@?anded in #is 1/7 -or Politics in India, =e- >el#i,

rient Aong:an.

38 6ccording to &ajini Eothari- Political analyst"


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P a g e | 43

• 6n open and competitive party system,

• 6 fractured opposition that cannot provide

an alternative to the government, but which

can press the government to do certain

things, or not do these things, and

6 democratic and consensual dominant

party" Eothari seemed to suggest that the

2ongress was a condensate of the

decentered and plural nature of Indian

society, where decisions are produced

through difficult and protracted

negotiations between rival views" hat isimportant is that in the final instance, these

decisions arrived at a consensus"

'" coalition implies co-operation between

political parties and this co-operation may

take place may take place at one of three

different levels

• %)ectora) 1 In which contest election by

coalition of two or more parties to fight

against a common enemy" %his may

range from electoral alliance between

parties at the National level to a mere

understanding at the constituency level"

• Par)iamentary1 %his coalition occurs

when no single party gains a majority

and the party asked the party asked to

form the @overnment refers to rule as aminority @overnment on an agreement

on an understanding with another

e#ternal support"

• Go,ernmenta)3 %he @overnmental

coalition is a Gpower sharingF coalition

and it occurs when two or more parties,

none of which is able to win a majority

of its own, combine to form a majority

@overnment"

• %he degree of ideological distance may

be discovered between different parties"

• #istence of different parties differing

not only in policies but more importantly

on principal fundamentals"

•#istence of irresponsible opposition"

4.3 om*arati,e study of Ad,anta1es and disad,anta1es


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Go,ernment Ad,anta1es &isad,anta1es Sin1)e

dominant

Go,ernment

'" It helps in the establishment of stable

administration which further helps in the

progress of the country" %he progress of

the 0oviet Union is a glaring e#ample in

this regard"5" In this system, formation and e#ecution

of long-term planning is possible"+" %he country achieves remarkable

economic progress as the @overnment

ends the conflicts among all the classes

and it devotes its entire energy, towards

the increase of production in the country"7" %he administration becomes efficient

because all the powers are concentrated

in the hands of one leader and there

favoritism, nepotism and black-marketing

are banished altogether"" %here is a unity and discipline in the

country"

A" %ime is not wasted in unnecessarycriticism and propaganda"

'" 0ince there is only one party in this

system, there is no freedom of

e#pression"

5" $emocracy is eroded and

dictatorship emerges"+" %here is no regard for the views of

different classes and interests"7" %he @overnment becomes absolute

and the administration becomes

irresponsible"" %he development of the personality

is hindered because all social

freedoms are crushed"A" In this system there is an overbearing

influence of terrorism, and the

opponents are crushed with a heavy

Pw Multi-Party System

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