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In short:
A political party is a group of people who come together and contest elections.
What is a political party?
- A political party is a group of people who come together and contest elections.
- Examples in India: Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party.
Is joining a political party compulsory for contesting elections?
- No. Joining a party is not compulsory.
- Some candidates contest independently. They are called independent candidates.
- Independent candidates are not affiliated to any political party.
Why are political parties important for a democratic system?
What it does
What this means
Organises public opinion
It brings scattered public views together
Campaigns on specific issues
It takes up chosen issues before the voters
Offers voters meaningful choices
The voter gets a real choice, not just one option
Enables informed decisions
The voter votes knowing what each party stands for
What do political parties provide?
- They provide governance, accountability, representation and public engagement.
Term
Meaning
Governance
Running the government and taking decisions for the people
Accountability
Answering to the people for what has been done
Representation
Speaking for the people who elected them
Public engagement
Keeping people involved in issues and debates
What do political parties promise during an election campaign?
![Political Parties - Elections - [Teachoo] - Concepts](https://cdn.teachoo.com/12c2233d-cd9f-42ad-8260-5b34323174bf/an-election-campaign.jpg)
An election campaign
- Parties present their agenda before the election.
- The written list of a party's promises is called its manifesto.
- They elaborate on their promises in election rallies.
- They discuss and debate issues on various media platforms.
- The issues may be local, state, national or international.
From the agenda to the voter
The agenda
parties present it before the election
↓
The manifesto
the written list of a party's promises
↓
Election rallies
they elaborate on those promises in person
↓
Media platforms
they discuss and debate the issues
↓
The issues may be local, state, national or international
What does it mean that political parties work at the grassroots level?
- Grassroots level means the ordinary people at the local level.
- Parties are present in the voter's own area, not only in the capital.
- They pick up the issues that affect citizens in their daily lives.
- They carry those issues into the election as their agenda.
- This is why parties are essential to a democratic system.
From the local street to the election agenda
Parties are present locally
in the voter's own area, not only in the capital
↓
They pick up local issues
the things that affect citizens in daily life
↓
They carry those issues into the election
the issues become the party's agenda
↓
This is why parties are essential to a democratic system
What is the role of the winning party and the opposition party?
| Point | Winning party | Opposition party |
|---|---|---|
| What it forms | Forms the government | Does not form the government |
| Its main job | Formulates and implements policies | Ensures accountability |
| How it works | Through the government | Through debates and committees |
What happens after the votes are counted?
Citizens
vote in the election
↓
Political parties organise public opinion
they take up the issues that affect people
↓
Parties contest elections
they plan campaigns and prepare manifestos
↓
The result splits the parties into two roles
The two roles after the result
After the result
two roles
Winning party
Forms the government
Formulates and implements policies
Opposition party
Ensures accountability
Takes part in debates and committees
What is a multi-party system?
- A multi-party system means many parties exist and compete in elections.
- India has a multi-party system.
- It reflects India's rich diversity of languages, cultures, religions and regions.
If there are so many political parties, can someone simply leave one party and join another whenever they wish?
- Yes, they can. A person may leave one party and join another.
- But once a person has been elected on a party's ticket, leaving it is called defection.
What is defection?
- Defection means abandoning the party under whose banner the candidate was elected.
-
It may mean:
- acting independently of the party's decisions, such as voting in the legislature
- joining another party
- switching away from that party
Two ways of looking at defection
Seen as political opportunism
Seen as a matter of conscience
Judged by party discipline
The member follows their own conscience
Judged by the need for stability
The member responds to changing public views
What is the Anti-Defection Law?
- The Anti-Defection Law in India was passed in 1985.
- It came through the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act.
- Its purpose is to prevent defection.
- This gives stability to the elected government.
- The law applies to a member of Parliament or of a State Assembly.
When can a member be disqualified?
Condition
What it means
Voluntarily gives up party membership
The member leaves the party on their own
Votes against the party's instructions
The party's instruction is called a whip
- Such a member can be disqualified from the respective House.
- The Speaker or Chairman of the House decides what needs to be done.
What are the three types of political parties in India?
- The Election Commission registers and recognises political parties.
- It does so based on specific criteria.
| Type | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| National party | Recognised across the country | BJP, INC, BSP, CPI(M), AAP, NPP |
| State party | Recognised in one or more states | DMK, Trinamool Congress, Biju Janata Dal |
| Registered Unrecognised Political Party (RUPP) | Registered, but not yet recognised | New or very small parties |
Beyond the textbook. The party names are examples only. The lists change after elections, so check the ECI website for the current ones.
- A party is an RUPP in two situations.
- It has not secured enough percentage of votes in the Assembly or General Elections.
- Or it has never contested elections since its registration.
What is the criteria for State party recognition?
- A party needs to satisfy any ONE of these five routes.
- Every route asks for votes, or for seats, or for both together.
| Route | Votes it must get | Seats it must win |
|---|---|---|
| Votes and seats, in the Assembly | 6% or more of the valid votes in that State's Assembly election | And at least 2 Assembly seats |
| Votes and seats, in the Lok Sabha | 6% or more of the valid votes in the Lok Sabha election from that State | And at least 1 Lok Sabha seat from that State |
| Assembly seats alone | No vote share needed | 3% of the Assembly seats, or 3 Assembly seats, whichever is more |
| Lok Sabha seats alone | No vote share needed | 1 Lok Sabha seat for every 25 seats allotted to that State, or any fraction of it |
| Votes alone | 8% or more of the valid votes in that State, in a Lok Sabha or an Assembly election | No seats needed |
What is the criteria for National party recognition?
- A party needs to satisfy any ONE of these three routes.
- A national party has to show strength in several States, not just in one.
| Route | Votes it must get | Seats it must win |
|---|---|---|
| Votes and seats | 6% or more of the valid votes in four or more States, in a Lok Sabha or an Assembly general election | And 4 Lok Sabha seats, from one or more States |
| Lok Sabha seats alone | No vote share needed | 2% of the Lok Sabha seats, with candidates elected from at least three States |
| Already a State party | No vote share needed | Recognised as a State party in at least four States |
🔍 Let's Explore
- Find out the number of State parties and Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPP). You may visit the website of ECI.
Show Answer
Sample answer. Open eci.gov.in and go to the list of political parties.
| What the ECI list shows | Number | As on |
|---|---|---|
| Recognised National parties | 6 | March 2024 list |
| Recognised State parties | About 60 | March 2024 list |
| Registered Unrecognised Political Parties | 2,854 before the clean-up drive | Before June 2025 |
| RUPPs left after the first round | 2,520 | 9 August 2025 |
| RUPPs delisted in two rounds | 808 | By 19 September 2025 |
- The ECI delists a party that has not contested any election for six years.
- It also acts against parties whose registered office address is not real.
- The RUPP number keeps changing, so write the date on which you checked.
🗺 Let's Map
- Choose any three states (including yours). Find the symbols of state parties belonging to those states and plot them on the given map of India. List down their major agenda, as mentioned in their manifesto in the latest Lok Sabha/Vidhan Sabha/Local Body Elections.
Show Answer
Sample answer. Mark the three states on the map and draw each symbol on its state.
| State | State party | Symbol | Major agenda from its manifesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) | Rising Sun | Rs 2,000 a month to women heads of families; old-age pension raised to Rs 2,000; 50 lakh jobs in five years (2026 Assembly manifesto) |
| West Bengal | All India Trinamool Congress | Flowers and Grass | Lakshmir Bhandar raised to Rs 1,500 a month; Rs 1,500 a month for unemployed youth; a Rs 30,000 crore agriculture budget (2026 Assembly manifesto) |
| Odisha | Biju Janata Dal (BJD) | Conch | 100 units of free electricity a month; 2 lakh government jobs in five years; scholarships of Rs 14,000 for girls and Rs 12,000 for boys (2024 Assembly manifesto) |
🗺 Let's Map
- Form groups of 4-6 students. Identify and compare the policy preferences on the following parameters for two political parties in the last Lok Sabha Elections using credible sources like party manifestos, newspapers, etc. Present the points of comparison in a poster using bullet points, symbols, colour coding, etc.
Show Answer
Sample answer. The two parties compared here are the BJP and the Indian National Congress, from their manifestos for the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
| Policy area | BJP said | Congress said | An aligned policy or law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | 100% enrolment from pre-school to secondary level | Amend the RTE Act to make Class 1 to 12 free in public schools | National Education Policy 2020; RTE Act 2009 |
| National security | Build stronger infrastructure along the borders | Scrap the Agnipath Scheme and return to earlier recruitment | Vibrant Villages Programme 2023; Agnipath Scheme 2022 |
| Social welfare | Free ration for five more years | A nationwide caste census | PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana; Caste Census 2011 |
| Environment | 500 GW of renewable energy | An independent Environment and Climate Change Authority | PM Surya Ghar Yojana 2024; National Clean Air Programme 2019 |
| Economy | Double the Mudra loan limit to Rs 20 lakh | Replace GST with a single moderate rate, GST 2.0 | Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana; CGST Act 2017 |
| Health | Extend Ayushman Bharat to cover senior citizens | Cashless insurance up to Rs 25 lakh for all | Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY; Rajasthan Right to Health Care Act 2022 |
- Source for every row: the two parties' own 2024 Lok Sabha manifestos.
- Use one colour for each party on the poster.
- Put each party's symbol at the top of its own column.
📜 Don't Miss Out
- The Anti-Defection Law was passed in 1985.
- It came through the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act.
- Its purpose is to prevent defection and give stability to the government.
- A member who gives up party membership can be disqualified.
- A member who votes against the party's whip can also be disqualified.
- The Speaker or Chairman of the House decides such cases.
Worth remembering:
Defection is not judged in only one way in this chapter. Through party discipline it looks like political opportunism. Seen another way, it can be a way to uphold conscience.
🔄 Still True Today
- The Anti-Defection Law of 1985 still decides such cases.
- All six parties in the NCERT matching question are national parties today.
1. What is a political party?
Show answer
A group of people who come together and contest elections.
2. Can a person contest an election without joining a party?
Show answer
Yes. Such a candidate is called an independent candidate.
3. What does defection mean?
Show answer
Abandoning the party under whose banner the candidate was elected.
4. Which Act brought the Anti-Defection Law?
Show answer
The 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, in 1985.
5. Name the three types of political parties in India.
Show answer
National party, State party, and Registered Unrecognised Political Party.
6. A party recognised as a State Party in how many states becomes a national party?
Show answer
At least four states.
Important dates
When
What happened
1985
Anti-Defection Law passed, through the 52nd Amendment Act
--- All election figures and party lists in this section were checked in September 2026.
Questions from the Book
Q4. Explain at least three differences between the national and state/regional political parties.
| Point of difference | National party | State party |
|---|---|---|
| Where recognised | In the country as a whole | In one or more states |
| Vote share needed | 6% in four or more states | 6% in the one State concerned |
| Seats needed | 4 Lok Sabha seats, or 2% of Lok Sabha seats from three states | 2 Assembly seats, or 1 Lok Sabha seat from that State |
| Another route | Being a State Party in at least four states | 3% of Assembly seats, or 3 seats, whichever is more |
| How many there are | 6 at present | About 60 |
| Examples | BJP, INC, BSP, CPI(M), AAP, NPP | DMK, Trinamool Congress, Biju Janata Dal |
Q7. Match the political party name with its symbol.
| Political party | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) | Broom |
| Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) | Lotus |
| Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) | Elephant |
| Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI(M) | Hammer, sickle and star |
| Indian National Congress (INC) | Hand |
| National People's Party (NPP) | Book |
Q13. Select one national or state political party. Prepare a comparative chart of the last two State Legislative Assembly elections.
The party chosen here is the DMK, and the state is Tamil Nadu.
| Detail for the DMK | 2026 election | 2021 election |
|---|---|---|
| Some promises made in the manifesto | Rs 2,000 a month to women heads of families; 50 lakh jobs in five years | 75% of private industrial jobs for people of Tamil Nadu; a law to ban NEET |
| Percentage of votes polled | 24.19% | 37.70% |
| Number of seats won | 59 | 133 |
| Number of women who contested | 18 | 12 |
| Number of women candidates elected | 0 | 6 |
- The DMK's vote share fell by about 13 percentage points between the two elections.
- Its seats fell from 133 to 59, so it moved from government to opposition.
- It put up more women in 2026 than in 2021, but none of them won.
- Sources: ECI results for Tamil Nadu, and the DMK manifestos of 2021 and 2026.
📝 What Have We Learned
- A political party is a group of people who come together and contest elections.
- The winning party forms the government, and the opposition party ensures accountability.
- The ECI recognises parties as National, State, or Registered Unrecognised.
