NCERT Class 10 Polity Chapter 6 – Political Parties

NCERT Class 10 Polity Chapter 6 explains the role and importance of political parties in a democratic system. In NCERT Class 10 Polity Chapter 6, students understand why modern democracies cannot function without organised political competition.

The chapter defines a political party as a group of people who come together to contest elections and form government. NCERT Class 10 Polity Chapter 6 explains different party systems such as one-party system (China), two-party system (USA and UK) and multi-party system (India).

A major focus of NCERT Class 10 Polity Chapter 6 is the classification of parties into National Parties and State Parties. National parties include Indian National Congress (1885), Bharatiya Janata Party (1980), Bahujan Samaj Party (1984), Communist Party of India (1925), CPI-M (1964) and Nationalist Congress Party (1999). Recognition is granted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) based on vote share and seat criteria.

The chapter also highlights major regional parties such as DMK (1949), TDP (1982), SP (1992), RJD (1997), BJD (1997) and others. Since 1989, coalition governments like NDA and UPA have played a crucial role in Indian politics.

NCERT Class 10 Polity Chapter 6 discusses key challenges such as lack of internal democracy, dynastic succession, money power and criminalisation of politics. The Anti-Defection Law (52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985) was introduced to reduce political defections.

For competitive exams, this chapter is essential to understand electoral politics, party systems and political reforms in India.

For structured preparation of NCERT Class 9–12 for UPSC, BPSC and State PCS examinations, strengthen your basics with our complete NCERT Book Notes PDF for Class 9-12, available inside the NCERT foundation course level-2.

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1. Overview

• Chapter explains role and importance of Political Parties in democratic politics.
• Highlights that modern democracies function through party competition and elections.
• Examines need for political parties, types of party systems and levels of participation.
• Discusses National and State Parties in India and their recognition by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• Concludes with major challenges faced by political parties and possible reforms.

2. Why do we need Political Parties?

• A Political Party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government based on agreed policies and programmes.
• Parties perform key functions such as contesting elections, presenting policies, forming government and making laws.
• They act as a link between citizens and government, representing public interests and grievances.
• Political parties shape public opinion through campaigns, debates and manifestos, helping voters make informed choices.
• In absence of parties, elections would involve only independent candidates without coordinated policies, leading to instability.
• Parties ensure collective responsibility in governance and accountability to the electorate.
• They recruit leaders and train political workers, providing structured political participation.
• In large and diverse countries like India, parties organise political competition and manage conflicts peacefully.
• Democracies without political parties are practically impossible because governance requires organised decision-making and policy direction.

3. How many parties should we have?

• Democracies may have different types of party systems — One-Party System, Two-Party System and Multi-Party System.
• In a One-Party System, only one political party is allowed to control and run the government, as seen in China. This system limits political competition.
• In a Two-Party System, power alternates mainly between two major parties, such as Democratic Party and Republican Party in the USA, or Labour Party and Conservative Party in the United Kingdom.
• In a Multi-Party System, several parties compete for power, often leading to coalition governments. India follows a multi-party system due to its social and regional diversity.
• In India, no single party often gets a majority, leading to formation of Coalition Governments, especially after 1989.
• Multi-party system provides greater representation to diverse interests but may create challenges in stability and decision-making.
• There is no ideal number of parties; it depends on country’s size, diversity and political history.
• In India, multi-party system reflects linguistic, regional and cultural diversity, ensuring wider political participation.

4. Popular Participation in Political Parties

• Political parties depend on active participation of citizens through membership, campaigning and voting.
• In India, large numbers of people participate in election rallies, campaigns and party activities, especially during Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections.
• Surveys conducted by organisations like CSDS (Centre for the Study of Developing Societies) show increasing participation of women, poor and disadvantaged groups in elections.
• Voter turnout in India has often been high, reflecting strong engagement with democratic politics.
• Participation is not limited to voting; citizens also join as party workers, volunteers and office-bearers.
• Despite participation, many people express dissatisfaction with internal functioning of parties, citing issues like lack of transparency and dominance of few leaders.
• Youth participation has increased, but internal democracy within parties remains limited.
• Popular participation strengthens democracy by ensuring accountability, but parties must improve internal processes to sustain public trust.

5. National Parties

• A National Party is recognised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) if it secures at least 6% of valid votes in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections in four or more States and wins at least 4 seats in Lok Sabha, or fulfils other ECI criteria.
• As per NCERT, major national parties include:
• Indian National Congress (INC): Founded in 1885, played key role in Indian Freedom Movement; ideology includes secularism, social justice and welfare policies.
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): Formed in 1980; promotes cultural nationalism and strong central leadership; led governments under Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998–2004) and later under Narendra Modi (from 2014).
• Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): Founded by Kanshi Ram (1984); represents interests of SC, ST, OBC and minorities; prominent in Uttar Pradesh under Mayawati.
• Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M): Formed in 1964; ideology based on Marxism; strong presence in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura.
• Communist Party of India (CPI): Founded in 1925; advocates socialism and workers’ rights.
• Nationalist Congress Party (NCP): Formed in 1999 by Sharad Pawar after split from INC; strong base in Maharashtra.
• National parties have presence across multiple states and influence national policies and governance.
• They play a central role in forming Union Government and shaping national political agenda.

6. State Parties

• A State Party (Regional Party) is recognised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) if it secures at least 6% valid votes in a State Assembly election and wins 2 seats, or meets alternative recognition criteria laid down by ECI.
• The NCERT regional parties map highlights strong state-based parties such as DMK and AIADMK (Tamil Nadu), Shiromani Akali Dal – SAD (Punjab), Telugu Desam Party – TDP (Andhra Pradesh), Asom Gana Parishad – AGP (Assam), Samajwadi Party – SP (Uttar Pradesh), Rashtriya Janata Dal – RJD (Bihar), Shiv Sena (Maharashtra), National Conference – NC (Jammu & Kashmir), Biju Janata Dal – BJD (Odisha), and Trinamool Congress – TMC (West Bengal).
• DMK (1949, C. N. Annadurai) and AIADMK (1972, M. G. Ramachandran) represent Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu, focusing on linguistic pride and regional autonomy.
• Shiromani Akali Dal (Punjab) represents Sikh religious and regional interests; National Conference (Jammu & Kashmir) led by Sheikh Abdullah historically advocated state autonomy.
• Telugu Desam Party (1982, N. T. Rama Rao) emerged to assert Telugu identity in Andhra Pradesh; Biju Janata Dal (1997, Naveen Patnaik) dominates Odisha politics.
• Samajwadi Party (1992, Mulayam Singh Yadav) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (1997, Lalu Prasad Yadav) mobilised backward caste politics in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively.
• Asom Gana Parishad (1985) emerged from the Assam Movement, highlighting regional concerns about immigration and identity.
• The map shows that regional parties dominate states like Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, reflecting India’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
• Since 1989, rise of regional parties has significantly shaped Coalition Governments at the Centre, strengthening India’s federal structure.

7. Challenges to Political Parties

• The first major challenge is Lack of Internal Democracy; power is often concentrated in the hands of a few top leaders, and ordinary members have limited role in decision-making.
• Most parties do not conduct regular internal elections or maintain transparent membership procedures, weakening democratic functioning within parties.
• The second challenge is Dynastic Succession, where leadership positions are passed within families, as seen in several parties across India, limiting opportunities for capable new leaders.
• The third challenge is the increasing role of Money and Muscle Power in elections, where wealthy candidates and those with criminal background influence party tickets and campaigns.
• Rising election expenditure makes it difficult for ordinary citizens to contest elections, leading to inequality in political participation.
• The fourth challenge is the lack of Meaningful Ideological Differences between parties; parties sometimes shift positions opportunistically to win elections.
• Frequent Defections and Opportunistic Alliances weaken public trust and blur policy distinctions.
• These challenges reduce citizens’ confidence in political parties and affect the quality of democracy.
• Despite these problems, political parties remain essential for democratic governance, but reforms are necessary to strengthen accountability and transparency.

8. How can Parties be Reformed?

• One reform measure is the Anti-Defection Law (52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985), which disqualifies elected representatives if they defect from their party.
• The Supreme Court and Election Commission have emphasised transparency in candidates’ affidavits, requiring disclosure of criminal cases, assets and educational qualifications.
• The Election Commission has made it mandatory for political parties to hold regular organisational elections and file income tax returns.
• Political funding reforms aim to reduce influence of black money; however, transparency in party finances remains a concern.
• Proposal for greater internal democracy within parties, including transparent selection of candidates and decision-making processes.
• Demand for state funding of elections to reduce excessive election expenditure and money power.
• Citizens, civil society organisations and media play crucial role in pressuring parties for reform through public debate and accountability.
• Ultimately, sustainable reform depends on active participation of citizens, who must demand ethical leadership and transparent functioning.
• Strengthening internal democracy, financial transparency and accountability will enhance public trust in political parties.

9. Exam Oriented Facts

• Political Party: Organisation that contests elections, forms government and shapes public policy.
• Types of Party Systems: One-Party System (China), Two-Party System (USA – Democratic Party & Republican Party; UK – Conservative Party & Labour Party), Multi-Party System (India).
• Coalition politics in India strengthened after 1989 General Elections; major alliances include NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and UPA (United Progressive Alliance).
• Indian National Congress (INC): Founded 1885; major leaders – Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi; key role in Freedom Movement.
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): Formed 1980; earlier linked to Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1951, Syama Prasad Mukherjee); led governments under Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998–2004) and Narendra Modi (2014 onwards).
• Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): Founded 1984 by Kanshi Ram; leadership of Mayawati; strong in Uttar Pradesh.
• Communist Party of India (CPI): Founded 1925; CPI (Marxist) – 1964 split; strong base in West Bengal, Kerala, Tripura.
• Nationalist Congress Party (NCP): Formed 1999 by Sharad Pawar after split from INC; base in Maharashtra.
• Key Regional Parties:
  • DMK (1949, C. N. Annadurai – Tamil Nadu)
  • AIADMK (1972, M. G. Ramachandran – Tamil Nadu)
  • Shiromani Akali Dal – SAD (Punjab)
  • Telugu Desam Party – TDP (1982, N. T. Rama Rao – Andhra Pradesh)
  • Asom Gana Parishad – AGP (1985, Assam Movement)
  • Samajwadi Party – SP (1992, Mulayam Singh Yadav – Uttar Pradesh)
  • Rashtriya Janata Dal – RJD (1997, Lalu Prasad Yadav – Bihar)
  • Biju Janata Dal – BJD (1997, Naveen Patnaik – Odisha)
  • Trinamool Congress – TMC (1998, Mamata Banerjee – West Bengal)
  • National Conference – NC (Sheikh Abdullah – Jammu & Kashmir)
  • Shiv Sena (1966, Bal Thackeray – Maharashtra)
• Recognition of National/State Parties decided by Election Commission of India (ECI) based on vote share and seat criteria.
• Major Challenges to Parties: Lack of Internal Democracy, Dynastic Succession, Money & Muscle Power, Lack of Ideological Clarity.
• Anti-Defection Law – 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985: Prevents elected representatives from switching parties.
• Mandatory disclosure of criminal and financial details through Election Affidavit Rules (as per Supreme Court directions).
• Political party reform depends on citizen participation, transparency, financial accountability and internal democracy.

Understanding NCERT Class 10 Polity Chapter 6 – Political Parties is important to analyse India’s electoral system and democratic competition.

NCERT Class 10 Polity Chapter 6 connects directly with topics like coalition politics, election reforms and constitutional amendments in BPSC and UPSC foundation preparation.

Students should refer to the official NCERT website for authentic textbooks and syllabus updates.

Continue reading NCERT Class 10 Polity Chapter 7 – Outcomes of Democracy to understand how democracy performs in practice.

FAQs

Q1. What is NCERT Class 10 Polity Chapter 6 about?
It explains political parties, party systems and electoral competition in India.

Q2. What are national parties in India?
Major national parties include INC, BJP, BSP, CPI, CPI-M and NCP.

Q3. What is the Anti-Defection Law?
It was introduced through the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985 to prevent political defections.

Q4. What is coalition government?
It is a government formed by an alliance of two or more political parties.

Q5. Why is Chapter 6 important for competitive exams?
It builds understanding of party systems, election reforms and governance relevant for BPSC and UPSC exams.

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