Maharashtra Board Class 10 Political Science Chapter 3 Political Parties PDF Download

Political Parties

In the last chapter we studied the working of constitution and election procedure. Political parties are a link that connects common people, democracy, representation and elections. Whatever we read or hear about politics is related to political parties. Political parties exist in all democratic systems. In fact political parties compete with each other only in a democracy. In this chapter we will study the political party system in India.

In your school and the surroundings you must have seen some groups, institutions, organisations working to achieve some objective. Some organisations take initiative in resolving social problems. You may have read about the various movements and their work. Just as there are active groups, institutions and movements, similarly there are political parties who contest elections. Political parties are also a kind of social organisations, but there is a difference between political parties and other institutions and organisations in society. The difference is in the goals and style of working of political parties and other organisations. On this background, we can say that when people form organisations with the objective of achieving political power and participate in the electoral process, such organisations are called political parties. Political parties thus can be described as a group of people who aim to contest elections, win elections and get power and establish the government of their party.

Important Characteristics of Political Parties

To Be In Power

Achieving power through elections is the main objective of political parties. Thus different political parties compete with each other to get power. There is nothing wrong in this competition, but the competition should be fair.

Teacher's Note

In India, many parties like BJP and Congress compete to win elections and form the government. This is how our democracy works.

Exam Trick

Remember: All political parties want power. Just like you want good marks in exams, parties want to win elections and make government.

Points to Remember

Political parties compete with each other to get power.
Competition between parties should be fair and honest.
The main goal of political parties is to win elections.

To Pursue An Ideology

Every political party has some policies and world views. Parties have a particular stand about social issues. These together make party ideology. The people who consider any specific party ideology as acceptable support that political party. Social support received by a political party is called the "mass base" of political party. In modern days ideologies of all political parties appear to be similar hence it has become difficult to differentiate between the parties on the basis of ideologies.

Teacher's Note

Each party has its own beliefs and plans. For example, Congress believes in secular democracy while some other parties have different beliefs.

Exam Trick

Remember: Ideology = beliefs of the party. Mass base = people who support the party. Every party has its own ideology.

Points to Remember

Every party has some policies and world views.
Party ideology means the beliefs and ideas of the party.
Mass base means the people who support a political party.
Different parties have different ideologies.

To Have A Party Agenda

Political parties prepare their party's agenda on the basis of party ideology. They implement the agenda after they get political power. Even if they do not get political power, political parties try to get support of people on the basis of this agenda.

Teacher's Note

A party agenda is like a to-do list. Congress might say "We will build schools and hospitals." BJP might say "We will build roads and factories." These are their agendas.

Exam Trick

Remember: Agenda = plan of work. Parties make plans based on their ideology and try to get people's support.

Points to Remember

Party agenda is made based on party ideology.
Parties try to do their agenda work when they get power.
Parties use their agenda to get support from people.

To Establish A Government

Political parties establish the government and govern the nation. The political party which gets majority in elections forms the government. The parties which do not get majority act as opposition parties.

Teacher's Note

In India, after elections, the party that wins the most seats forms the government. Other parties become opposition. This happens in every state.

Exam Trick

Remember: Majority party = makes government. Opposition parties = sit in parliament and oppose wrong decisions.

Points to Remember

The party with the most seats forms the government.
Other parties become opposition parties.
Opposition parties check the government's wrong decisions.

To Act As A Link Between The Government And The People

Political parties work as a link between the government and the people. Political parties communicate the demands and complaints of the people to the government. The government tries to get support of the people for its policies and programmes through political parties.

Teacher's Note

Political parties are like a bridge. On one side is the common person and on the other side is the government. Parties connect them both.

Exam Trick

Remember: Parties = middle person between government and people. They tell the government what people want and tell people what government does.

Points to Remember

Political parties connect government and common people.
Parties carry people's demands to the government.
Parties help government get support from people.
Parties are a bridge between both.

Changing Nature of Political Party System in India

The Congress was a strong political party in the post-independence period. Congress had a majority at Centre and in most of the States. Indian politics was controlled by the Congress Party. This era was described as Era of "Single dominant party system".

The non-Congress parties came together and challenged "Single dominant party system" in 1977.

After the 1989 Loksabha Elections, the system of one party emerging as dominant party came to an end. Since then different parties began to come together to form coalition governments. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress Party made an experiment of establishing coalition governments. The belief that coalition government brings instability was proved wrong by the political party system in our country. In fact, the coalition government system as stabilised in India.

Teacher's Note

Before 1977, Congress party was very powerful and always won elections. Now many parties have power. This is good for democracy because no single party can do wrong.

Exam Trick

Remember: Single dominant party system = one party always wins (before 1977). Coalition government = many parties join together to form government (after 1989).

Points to Remember

Congress was the strongest party from 1947 to 1977.
After 1989, many parties come together to form government.
Coalition government means two or more parties work together.
Coalition government is stable in India now.

Do You Know?

If power remains with one political party for a long period and if no other political parties are influential - the party system is called as one party system.

In politics, when two political parties are influential and if political parties enjoy power alternatively, the party system is called two party system.

When many political parties compete for political power and more or less they are equally influential, the party system is called multi-party system.

National Parties

To get recognition as a national party, the Election Commission has prescribed the following conditions:

A political party should secure minimum 6% of the valid votes in four or more States in the earlier Loksabha or State Assembly elections and minimum 4 members should be elected in the Loksabha from any state or states in the earlier elections.

Or

The candidates of a party should be elected from minimum 2% constituencies out of total Loksabha constituencies and from minimum 3 states.

To get recognition as a regional party, the Election Commission has prescribed the following conditions:

A political party should secure minimum 6% of the valid votes in the earlier Loksabha or State Assembly elections and minimum 2 members should be elected in the Vidhan Sabha (State Assembly).

Or

A political party should secure minimum 3% of seats out of total seats of Vidhansabha – (State Assembly) or minimum 3 seats.

Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress was established in 1885. At the time of its establishment, Congress was an all comprehensive movement working for national independence. Groups with different ideologies had come together in this nationalist movement. After independence the Congress emerged as the most dominant political party. The party, from the beginning, follows the policy of secularism, all round development, equal rights and welfare for minorities and disadvantageous sections of the society. Accordingly, Congress has organised various programmes to achieve those objectives. The party believes in democratic socialism, social equality and international peace.

Teacher's Note

Congress was started in 1885 and helped India become free from British rule. After independence, Congress made many laws for the poor and weak people.

Exam Trick

Remember: Congress = 1885. It was the main party during freedom struggle. It believes in helping poor people and minorities.

Points to Remember

Congress was started in 1885.
It led India's freedom struggle.
Congress believes in secularism and equality.
It helps minorities and poor people.

Communist Party of India

This party based on the communist ideology was established in 1925. It is an old party in India. This party works for the welfare of labourers and workers. The party opposes capitalism. The party leadership developed differences in 1962 over the issue of whether Communist Party of India should accept the leadership of Communist China or the Soviet Union. This led to the split in Communist Party of India and a separate party – Communist Party of India (Marxist) was formed.

Teacher's Note

Communist Party cares about workers and poor people. It was made in 1925. This party opposes when rich people make too much money.

Exam Trick

Remember: Communist Party = 1925. Works for workers. Opposes capitalism (where rich become more rich).

Points to Remember

Communist Party was made in 1925.
It works for the welfare of workers.
It opposes capitalism.
In 1962 it split into two parties.

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