Basics BJP INC BSP Aam Aadmi Party CPI-M National People’s Party

(Bharatiya Janata (Indian National (Bahujan Samaj Party) (AAP) (Communist (NPP)
Party) Congress) Party of India
- Marxist)

Founding Year 1980 1885 1984 26 Nov 2012 1964 July 2013

Ideology Ancient cultural Secularism, Welfare Aims to represents and Founded on the idea Marxism-Leni It believes in diversity
values, Integral of weaker section secure power for the Bahujan of accountability, nism, of the country,different
humanism and and minorities, Samaj, Follows ideas of clean administration, Opposes new regions have different
Antyodaya, Centrist Party Shahu Maharaj, Phule, transparency and economic developmental
Hindutva( cultural Naicker and Ambedkar good governance. policies and challenges. core
nationalism ) as new trade. philosophy : Education
an important and employment to all.
element of
nationhood and
politics.

Symbol Lotus Hand Palm with five Elephant Broomstick Sickle and Book
fingers Hammer

Leader Shyama Prasad Jawaharlal Nehru Kanshi Ram Arvind Kejriwal — P.A Sangma
Mukherjee

Area/Region/ Formed NDA, Formed UPA in 2004, Main base in U.P. and formal Presently, AAP W.B., Kerala, It formed government
Present presently ruling Ruled for a major presence in M.P., formed governments Tripura in Meghalaya and has
position government. period. Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand in Punjab and Delhi. presence in many of
and Punjab. North Eastern States.
 th
Class 10
Social Science
Civics |Political Parties
 th
Class 10
Social Science
Civics|Political Parties
Crafted with love
By Digraj Singh Rajput
 Civics|Political Parties
Political Parties

Basics How many parties should we have?

● Meaning ● One party system National Parties

● Function ● Two party system
● Necessity ● Multiparty system State Parties

Challenges to political parties

How can parties be reformed?

 Civics|Political Parties
A Political Parties is a group of people who come together to contest
Political Parties
elections and hold power in the government Three main components
(Most visible institution) [The Leaders, the Active Members and the Followers]

Functions Necessity

● Contest elections. ● All the candidates will remain Independent in the

● Form and run governments. absence of political parties.
● Form Policies and programmes. ● There will be no laws for national policy.
● Make laws. ● Forms the essence of representative democracies.
● Plays role of opposition. ● Large scale societies need a group of people to
● Shape public opinion. represent opinions.
● Provide people access to government machinery
and welfare schemes.
 Civics|Political Parties
Assertion (A) : Modern democracy cannot function without political parties
Reason (R) : Elected representatives will be accountable only to their constituencies, not towards the
country.
CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/3/1]

a. (A) is true, but (R) is false.

b. (A) is false, but (R) is true.

c. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

d. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
 Civics|Political Parties

This depends upon nature of society, its social and regional divisions,
How many parties should we have?
history of politics and its system of election.

One Party : When a single party exists in Two party : When power Multi party : When several equally strong
the country and control the government. oscillates between two political parties exist in a country. E.g. India.
Non democratic. E.g. China parties. E.g. USA and UK Coalitions and alliances are part of it.

Parties that secure 6% of total votes in the Lok Sabha or assembly election of four
National Parties
state and wins 4 seats in the Lok Sabha. Also, called recognised parties.

Parties that secure 4% votes in state elections and wins at least 2 seats in state
State Parties
legislative elections. Also known as regional parties. Strengthen federalism.

Ninja Technique to
Remember the basis i.e : Founding year, Ideology, Symbol leader if given, Area/Region.
remember National Party:
 Civics|Political Parties

Which one of the following countries adopted multi-party system?

CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/2/1]

a. USA

b. India

c. China

d. United Kingdom
 Basics BJP INC BSP Aam Aadmi Party CPI-M National People’s Party
(Bharatiya Janata (Indian National (Bahujan Samaj Party) (AAP) (Communist (NPP)
Party) Congress) Party of India
- Marxist)

Founding Year 1980 1885 1984 26 Nov 2012 1964 July 2013

Ideology Ancient cultural Secularism, Welfare Aims to represents and Founded on the idea Marxism-Leni It believes in diversity
values, Integral of weaker section secure power for the Bahujan of accountability, nism, of the country,different
humanism and and minorities, Samaj, Follows ideas of clean administration, Opposes new regions have different
Antyodaya, Centrist Party Shahu Maharaj, Phule, transparency and economic developmental
Hindutva( cultural Naicker and Ambedkar good governance. policies and challenges. core
nationalism ) as new trade. philosophy : Education
an important and employment to all.
element of
nationhood and
politics.

Symbol Lotus Hand Palm with five Elephant Broomstick Sickle and Book
fingers Hammer

Leader Shyama Prasad Jawaharlal Nehru Kanshi Ram Arvind Kejriwal — P.A Sangma
Mukherjee

Area/Region/ Formed NDA, Formed UPA in 2004, Main base in U.P. and formal Presently, AAP W.B., Kerala, It formed government
Present presently ruling Ruled for a major presence in M.P., formed governments Tripura in Meghalaya and has
position government. period. Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand in Punjab and Delhi. presence in many of
and Punjab. North Eastern States.
 Civics|Political Parties

Challenges to Political Parties

● Lack of internal democracy within parties. (ordinary member do no get sufficient information, Personal loyalty to leaders)
● Challenge of dynastic succession. (Top positions are controlled by family members, Incapable people come to power)
● The growing role of money and muscle power in parties, especially during election.
● Often parties do not seem to offer a meaningful choice to the voters. (no significant difference in policies and ideologies)

How can parties be reformed?

Steps taken: ● Ban on defection of MPs and MLA’s We must be careful to the legal solution, over
● Supreme court order mandating candidates to regulation can be counterproductive.
file affidavit declaring assets and criminal cases.
● EC order mandating parties to conduct
organizational elections and file income tax People’s participation
returns.
● Petitions, publicity and agitations
Suggestions: ● Mandating laws to regulate internal affairs. ● Those who want reform should join
● ⅓ of party tickets to be given to women. political parties.
● State funding of elections.
 Civics|Political Parties

Which one of the following steps has been taken by the Election Commission of India to reform political
parties?
CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/3/1]

a. Amended the Constitution to prevent defection.

b. Candidates will have to give the details of criminal cases on affidavit.

c. Candidates will have to give details of their property on affidavit.

d. It has been made mandatory for all parties to conduct organizational elections and file
income tax returns.
 Key Words Civics|Political Parties

Two Party System : A system where the power usually

Partisanship : A person who is strongly committed to a changes between two main parties. Several other
party, group or faction. Partisanship is marked by tendency parties may exist. Contest elections and win a few seats
to take a side and inability to take a balanced view on an in the national legislature. But mainly two parties
issue. dominate in political arena.

Multi Party System: If several parties compete for

Ruling Party: Parties contest election and that political party power and more than two parties have a reasonable
which gets the majority support and forms the government change of coming to power either on their own
is known as ruling party. strength or in alliance with others, we call it a multi
party system.

National Parties/Recognised Political Parties : Political

One Party System : A system where only one party parties which have a nationwide presence and
dominates the political and it is allowed to control and run qualifies the Six percent of total votes of Lok Sabha or
the government. assembly elections and win at least four seats in Lok
Sabha are known as national parties. BJP, Congress,
BSP, etc.
 Key Words Civics|Political Parties

State Parties/Regional Parties: Political parties which have

presence over a specific region or a state and qualifies
secure at least six percent of total votes in legislature
election and win at least two seats.

Defection: It means changing party allegiance from the party

on which a person got elected to a different party.

Affidavit : It is a signed document submitted to an officer,

where a person makes a sworn statement regarding her
personal information.

Alliance/Front : When several parties in a multi party

system come together in a coalition to contest & win
election, they form an alliance.
 MuST Know Question Civics|Political Parties

What do you understand by political parties? Explain three components of a

political party.

● A political party is a political organization of people who come together to

contest election and control political power.

The three components of political party are -

1. The leaders
2. The active members
3. The followers
 MuST Know Question Civics|Political Parties

What is the meaning of a political party? Describe the role of political parties in
the Indian democracy.

A political party is an organized group of people or bodies who seek to capture political power through an election
in order to run the affairs of a country. It often puts forward candidates for public office.
● Contest Elections: Political parties nominate candidates for contesting elections. In some countries, like the
USA, party members choose the candidates, while in others, like India, top leaders select them.
● Formulate Policies and Programmes: Political parties propose different ideas and plans for the country. A
party reduces a vast multitude of opinions into a few basic positions which it supports.
● Make Laws: Political parties influence the lawmaking process. Most legislators belong to parties, and they
often follow party leadership when voting on laws, regardless of their personal beliefs.
● Form and Run Governments: Political parties form the government and make major policy decisions. They
recruit and train leaders who become ministers to implement their vision for the country.
● Role of Opposition: Parties that lose elections serve as the opposition, offering different views, criticizing the
government for its mistakes, and mobilizing public dissent.
Others: Shape Public Opinion and Provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes
 MuST Know Question Civics|Political Parties

Differentiate between two party system and multi party system.

Two Party System Multi Party System

● A system where the power usually ● When more than two parties have a
changes between two main parties. reasonable change of coming to power, we
call it a multi party system.
● Several other parties may exist, but
mainly two parties dominate in ● Diversity can be accommodated.
political arena.
● India
● USA and UK
 MuST Know Question Civics|Political Parties

Differentiate between National and State Parties.

National Parties State Parties

● Influence is all over the country. ● Influence is limited to a state.

● Recognised Party. ● Regional Party.
● Six percent of total votes of Lok ● Secure at least six percent of total
Sabha or assembly elections and win votes in legislature election and win
at least four seats in Lok Sabha. at least two seats.
● BJP, Congress, BSP, etc. ● Rashtriya Janata Dal, Shiv Sena
 MuST Know Question Civics|Political Parties

What are the major challenges which the political parties face in the
present era? Explain.

Political parties face several challenges that affect their effectiveness in a democracy:
● Lack of Internal Democracy: Power is often concentrated in a few leaders, with little opportunity for ordinary
members to participate in decision-making, leading to personal loyalty to leaders rather than party
principles.
● Dynastic Succession: Many parties are dominated by family members or close associates of the leaders,
making it difficult for ordinary party workers to rise to leadership positions, which undermines fairness and
democracy.
● Influence of Money and Muscle Power: The need for funding during elections can lead parties to rely on
wealthy candidates or donors, which may compromise their integrity and result in the nomination of
candidates with questionable backgrounds.
● Limited Choices for Voters: There is often a lack of significant ideological differences among parties, reducing
meaningful options for voters who want different policies and leadership.
 MuST Know Question Civics|Political Parties

Describe the efforts to reform political parties in india ?

● Anti-Defection Law: MPs and MLAs lose their seat if they change parties, reducing
party-switching.
● Supreme Court Rule: Candidates must disclose their property and criminal cases, but there's no
way to verify if it's true.
● Election Commission Rule: Parties must hold internal elections and file tax returns, but it’s often
done as a formality.
● Regulating Party Rules: A law is suggested to make parties keep records, follow rules, and hold
fair elections for top positions.
● Women’s Representation: Parties should give at least one-third of election tickets to women and
have more women in decision-making roles.
● State Funding: The government should give money or resources to parties based on their election
votes.
 Previous year questions 2019 Civics|Political Parties
CBSE Board Paper 2019 - Set [32/2/1]

What is a political party? Explain any four characteristics of a political party. 5

CBSE Board Paper 2019 - Set [32/5/1]

Highlight any five functions of political parties to strengthen democracy.

CBSE Board Paper 2019 - Set [32/5/1]

Why do we need political parties? Highlight any five reasons. 5

CBSE Board Paper 2019 - Set [32/4/1]

Explain the necessity of Political Parties in a democracy 5

CBSE Board Paper 2019 - Set [32/4/1]

Explain the role of Political Parties in a democracy.

CBSE Board Paper 2019 - Set [32/1/1]

How are political parties recognized as regional and national parties in India? Explain with
examples. 3
 Previous year questions 2020 Civics|Political Parties
CBSE Board Paper 2020 - Set [32/5/1]

Correct the following statement and rewrite it :

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was formed under the leadership of Mayawati. 1
CBSE Board Paper 2020 - Set [32/1/1]

Describe any five functions of political party. 5

CBSE Board Paper 2020 - Set [32/4/1]

Describe the necessity of political parties in democratic countries. 5

CBSE Board Paper 2020 - Set [32/5/1]

Define the term 'Political Party'. Explain with examples, the need of political parties in India 5
CBSE Board Paper 2020 - Set [32/4/1]

Describe the necessity of political parties in democracy. 5

 Previous year questions 2020 Civics|Political Parties
CBSE Board Paper 2020 - Set [32/3/1]

Define 'Political Party'. Describe any four main challenges faced by the Indian political parties. 5

CBSE Board Paper 2020 - Set [32/4/1]

Describe the efforts to reform political parties in India. 5

CBSE Board Paper 2020 - Set [32/3/1]

Suggest any one way to make political parties more responsive to the people's need and 1
demand.

CBSE Board Paper 2020 - Set [32/3/1]

Suggest any one way to promote the public participation in the Political Parties for enhancing 1
the quality of democracy.
 Previous year questions 2022 Civics|Political Parties
CBSE Board Paper 2022 - Set [32/1/1]

Differentiate between ruling and opposition parties. 2

CBSE Board Paper 2022 - Set [32/4/1]

How is one-party system different from two-party system? Explain with examples. 2

CBSE Board Paper 2022 - Set [32/1/1]

Why has India adopted a multi-party system? Explain. 2

CBSE Board Paper 2022 - Set [32/2/1]

Explain, how the rise of political parties are directly linked to the emergence of representative
democracies. 3
CBSE Board Paper 2022 - Set [32/1/1]

Explain the role of Election Commission in the 'registration and recognition' of political parties in
India. 3
 Previous year questions 2022 Civics|Political Parties

CBSE Board Paper 2022 - Set [32/4/1]

Examine any five major challenges faced by the political parties in India. 5
CBSE Board Paper 2022 - Set [32/3/1]

"There are various reforms taken to strengthen parties in India so that they perform their function
well." Explain the statement with examples. 5
CBSE Board Paper 2022 - Set [32/4/1]

"Political parties play an important role in democratic countries." Justify the statement. 5
CBSE Board Paper 2022 - Set [32/3/1]

"Political parties have become omnipresent in democracies all over the world." Explain the 5
statement with examples.
 Previous year questions 2023 Civics|Political Parties
CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/6/1]

Two statements are given in the question below as Assertion (A) and Jeason (R). Read the
statements and choose the correct option. 1
Assertion (A): Political Parties are important in the functioning of democracy.
Reason (R): The media plays an important role in the making of Political Parties.
Options:
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
 Previous year questions 2023 Civics|Political Parties

CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/5/1]

There are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read both the statements
and choose the correct option as your answer: 1
Assertion (A): India has a multiparty system.
Reason (R): It is because of the social and geographical diversities in India.
Options:
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the
Assertion (A).
(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
the Assertion (A).
(c) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(d) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
 Previous year questions 2023 Civics|Political Parties

CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/6/1] CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/4/1]
CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/2/1]
Which one of the following Which one of the following
countries have One Party countries has two party Which of the following States is
System? system? ruled by a regional party? 1
1 1 (a) Haryana
(a) China (a) China (b) Madhya Pradesh
(b) India (b) Russia (c) Odisha
(c) Pakistan (c) America (d) Rajasthan
(b) America (d) India
 Previous year questions 2023 Civics|Political Parties

CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/6/1]

Explain the role of Election Commission regarding recognition of Political Parties in India. 2
CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/4/1]

Analyze the need of Political Parties in the Democracy. 3

CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/1/1]

Explain any three functions of Political Party. 3

CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/5/1]

Explain any five major functions of the political parties. 5

CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/5/1]

Explain any five challenges faced by political parties in India. 5

 Previous year questions 2023 Civics|Political Parties
CBSE Board Paper 2023 - Set [32/2/1]

Read the given source and answer the questions that follow :
The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies. As
we have seen, large societies need representative democracy. As societies became large and
complex, they also needed some agency to gather different views on various issues and to
present these to the government. They needed some ways, to bring various representatives
together so that a responsible government could be formed. They needed a mechanism to
support or restrain the government, make policies, justify or oppose them. Political parties fulfil
these needs that every representative government has. We can say that parties are a necessary
condition for a democracy.
I. Explain the meaning of a 'political party'. 1
II. "The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative
democracies." Support this statement. 1
III. Why are political parties a necessary condition for a democracy ? Explain 2
 Previous year questions 2024 Civics|Political Parties

CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/3/1] CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/3/1]

Assertion (A): Multi-party system has been

How do Political Parties ensure accountability
adopted in India.
to the public?
Reason (R) : It is capable of accommodating all the
Choose the most suitable option from the
social and geographical differences in India.
following. 1
Options:
(A) Through Press Conferences
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct
(B) Through Social Media Campaigns
explanation of (A).
(C) Through encouraging Partisanship
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the
(D) Through Elections and Voter Support
correct explanation of (A).
(C) is true, but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
 Previous year questions 2024 Civics|Political Parties

CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/1/1] CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/3/1]
CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/2/1]

Which one of the following Which one of the following Which one of the following
countries has 'one-party system' ? countries has two-party system? countries has a two-party
(A) United States of America (a) China system ?
(B) United Kingdom (b) United kingdom 1
(C) India (c) India (A) China
(D) China (d) Pakistan (B) United States of America
(C) Pakistan
(D) France
 Previous year questions 2024 Civics|Political Parties
CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/3/1]

Describe any functions of the political parties. 3

CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/1/1]

Explain any three challenges that political parties often face in their functioning. 3
CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/2/1]

Explain any three responsibilities carried out by the political parties in a democracy. 3
CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/3/1]

Analyse the role of political parties in shaping the outcomes of democracy. 3

CBSE Board Paper 2024 - Set [32/4/1]

Analyse the role of political parties in shaping public opinion. 3