critically evaluation the context of the rise of regional political parties in India .how has it affected the growth of coalition politics in India (600words)
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Answer:
In a democracy, political parties provide an agency to the society to gather different views on various issues and to present these to the government. They bring various representatives together so that a responsible government could be formed. They provide a mechanism to support or restrain the government, make policies, justify or oppose them. India has a multi-party system.
Political Parties in India
Every political party in India has to register with the Election Commission.
The Election Commission registers political parties for the purpose of elections and grants them recognition as national or state parties on the basis of their poll performance
Recognised Parties:
Are given a unique symbol – only the official candidates of that party can use that election symbol
National Parties: A party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four States and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognised as a national party.
State Parties: A party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State and wins at least two seats is recognised as a State party.
According to the Election Commission of India, there are over 2000 political parties in India, which include eight "recognized national" and more than 50 "recognized state" parties.
Regional Parties in India
Other than the 8 national parties- Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Parties, Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, All India Trinamool Congress and National People's Party; most of the major parties of the country are classified by the Election Commission as ‘State parties’. These are commonly referred to as regional parties.
Yet these parties need not be regional in their ideology or outlook. Some of these parties are all India parties that happen to have succeeded only in some states .
The presence of a number of ethnic, cultural, linguistic, religious and caste groups within the Indian society is greatly responsible for the origin and growth of regional parties.
In India regional parties are based on themes like– Identity, Statehood, Autonomy and Development etc.
Autonomy consists of demanding greater powers to the states (like the National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir).
Statehood consists of fighting for an independent state within the country (like the Telangana Rastra Samiti demanded a separate state of Telangana).
Identity consists of fighting for recognition of cultural rights of a group (like the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra or the DMK fighting for the identity of the Dalits).
Development consists of regional parties believing that only they can bring development to the people of a particular region.
Sometimes regional parties create these ‘cultural specificities’ for electoral gains.