1. Political Parties in Federal Systems

• Democracies following a federal system often have two kinds of political parties:
  • Parties present in only one federal unit (usually focusing on regional issues).
  • Parties present in several or all units of the federation, usually with a more national agenda. 🌍
• India, as a federal democracy, features both regional and national parties operating across its various states. 🇮🇳
• Regional parties often focus on local or state-specific issues, while national parties aim for broader national governance. ⚖️
• These federal dynamics help accommodate the country’s diverse needs and give rise to coalition politics. 🔄

2. National Parties

• National parties have units across multiple states, and their policies, programmes, and strategies are decided at the national level. 🌏
• These parties work toward national governance, influencing decision-making on matters like economy, foreign policy, and national security. 🌍
• The ideology and actions of national parties often have a unifying impact, as they try to represent a broad spectrum of citizens. 🤝
• National parties tend to be more organized and have better resources to contest elections across the country. 🗳️
• They are also better equipped to form governments at the central level through alliances or independently. 🏛️

3. Registration and Recognition of Political Parties

• Every political party in India must register with the Election Commission. 📝
  • This ensures that they comply with electoral rules and regulations. ⚖️
• The Election Commission offers special privileges to recognized parties, such as:
  • A unique election symbol that only official candidates of the party can use. 🔒
  • Reserved symbols help voters easily identify candidates during elections. 🗳️
• The Election Commission treats all parties equally in terms of registration, but offers extra support to larger, established parties. 🌍
• These privileges are intended to provide fair competition in the elections and ensure voters can easily identify genuine contenders. 🏛️

4. Criteria for Recognized Parties

• A party can be recognized as a State party or a National party depending on its electoral performance. 📊
  • State party:
    • Must secure at least six percent of the total votes in an Assembly election of a state. 🗳️
    • Must win at least two seats in the Legislative Assembly of that state. 🏛️
  • National party:
    • Must secure at least six percent of total votes in four states during Lok Sabha or Assembly elections. 📊
    • Must win at least four seats in the Lok Sabha. 🏛️
• These criteria ensure that the electoral base of a party is significant enough to be considered a major player in national politics. 🌏
• Recognition by the Election Commission also means that a party enjoys greater political influence and access to resources during elections. 🏛️
• As per the 2023 notification, there are six recognized national parties in India. 🇮🇳

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

• Formation: Formed on 26 November 2012, following the 2011 anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare. 🗓️
• Core Ideology: Focuses on accountability, transparency, clean administration, and good governance. 🏛️
• Key Achievements:
  • In the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, AAP became the second-largest party and formed a government with the support of Indian National Congress (INC). 🏙️
  • In 2022 Gujarat Legislative Assembly elections, AAP emerged as the third front in the state’s politics. 🏛️
  • Formed governments in Delhi and Punjab. 🏠
  • 2019 Lok Sabha: Secured one seat in the Lok Sabha. 🗳️
• Significance: Known for promoting anti-corruption ideals and using technology for better governance in Delhi. 📱💻

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)

• Formation: Founded in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram. 🗓️
• Core Ideology: Aims to represent the Bahujan Samaj, which includes Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, and religious minorities. ✊
• Inspirations: Draws from the teachings of Sahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Periyar Ramaswami Naicker, and Babasaheb Ambedkar. 📖
• Key Achievements:
  • Strong presence in Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Punjab. 🌍
  • Formed several governments in Uttar Pradesh with the support of different parties. 🏛️
  • 2019 Lok Sabha: Secured 10 seats with 3.63% of the vote share. 🗳️
• Significance: Known for championing the cause of marginalized communities and pushing for social justice. 🤝

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

• Formation: Founded in 1980 by reviving the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, originally formed in 1951 by Syama Prasad Mukherjee. 🗓️
• Core Ideology: Focuses on cultural nationalism (Hindutva) and draws inspiration from India’s ancient culture, Deendayal Upadhyaya’s integral humanism, and Antyodaya (the welfare of the last person). 🇮🇳
• Key Achievements:
  • 1998: Came to power as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). ⚖️
  • 2019 Lok Sabha: Emerged as the largest party, securing 303 seats. 🏆
  • Leads the ruling government at the Centre, steering national policies on national security, foreign relations, and economy. 🌍💼
• Significance: The BJP has expanded its support base across India, moving beyond its traditional strongholds in the north and west to the south, east, and rural areas. 🌏

Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M)

• Formation: Founded in 1964. 🗓️
• Core Ideology: Believes in Marxism-Leninism, supporting socialism, secularism, and democracy, while opposing imperialism and communalism. 🔨✊
• Key Achievements:
  • Strong presence in West Bengal, Kerala, and Tripura, especially among factory workers, farmers, and agricultural laborers. 🏭👩‍🌾
  • Ruled West Bengal for 34 years uninterrupted. ⏳
  • 2019 Lok Sabha: Secured 1.75% of the vote share and won 3 seats. 🗳️
• Significance: CPI(M) continues to promote social justice and workers’ rights, and it is critical of neoliberal economic policies. 💡

Indian National Congress (INC)

• Formation: Founded in 1885, one of the oldest political parties in the world. 🏛️
• Core Ideology: Advocates for secularism, democracy, economic liberalization with a human face, and the welfare of weaker sections and minorities. 👫🤝
• Key Achievements:
  • Played a pivotal role in India’s independence and led the country’s post-independence governance under leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru. 🇮🇳
  • Held power at the Centre from 1947-1977 and again from 1980-1989. 📅
  • 2019 Lok Sabha: Secured 52 seats with 19.5% of the vote share. 🗳️
• Significance: Despite its decline since the 1990s, INC remains a key player in Indian politics, leading the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition from 2004-2019. ⚖️

National People’s Party (NPP)

• Formation: Formed in July 2013 by P.A. Sangma. 🗓️
• Core Ideology: Advocates for regional development, education, employment, and empowerment of all sections of society. 🎓💼
• Key Achievements:
  • First political party from North East India to gain national party status. 🌏
  • Formed a government in Meghalaya and has a presence in other Northeastern states. 🏛️
  • 2019 Lok Sabha: Secured one seat. 🗳️
• Significance: Focuses on addressing developmental challenges in North East India and stands for regional empowerment. 🚀