CBSE Class 10 Social Science Political Party Important Questions

Question. Bharatiya Janata Party believes in the Philosophy of: 
(A) Cultural nationalism.
(B) Religion above all.
(C) No discrimination on the basis of caste.
(D) Equal opportunity for all.
Answer: A

Question. The Bahujan Samaj Party stands for what cause? 
(A) Securing the interest of the oppressed people.
(B) Equal rights for women.
(C) No discrimination on the basis of religion.
(D) Economic emancipation of women.
Answer: A

Question. If all the decisions of a political party are made by a single family and all other members are neglected, then what challenge is being faced by that party?
(A) Challenge of alliance formation.
(B) Challenge of dynastic succession.
(C) Challenge of partial elections.
(D) Challenge of power.
Answer: B

Question. Which of the following best signifies this cartoon?
(A) People hate politics.
(B) People want to throw away the politicians in Niagara Falls.
(C) Political parties are one of the least trusted institutions all over the world.
(D) People of Canada think that the Liberals should be in power.
Answer: C

Question. Who among the following is the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party? 
(A) Kanshi Ram
(B) B. R. Ambedkar
(C) Shahu Maharaj
(D) Jyotiba Phule
Answer: A

Question. What is the guiding philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party? 
(A) Bahujan Samaj
(B) Revolutionary democracy
(C) Integral humanism
(D) Modernity
Answer: C

Question. 

(A) (i)-(d) , (ii)- (c), (iii)-(b), (iv) -(a)
(B) (i)-(c), (ii)-(a), (iii) -(d), (iv)-(b)
(C) (i) -(a), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(c), (iv)-(d)
(D) (i)-(d), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(b), (iv) -(a)
Answer: B

Question. What is meant by ‘Political Party’? 
(A) A group of politically sound people.
(B) A group of people comes together to contest elections to hold power in the government.
(C) A group of people who want to be in power.
(D) A group of people who want to amend the Constitution.
Answer: B

Question. Name the alliance formed by the Congress Party. 
(A) National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
(B) All India Congress (AIC)
(C) All India Congress Committee (AICC)
(D) United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
Answer: D

Question. Analyze the information given below, considering one of the following correct options:
Formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram. Seeks to represent and secure power for the bahujan samaj which includes the dalits, adivasis, OBCs and religious minorities. Draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Periyar Ramaswami Naicker and Babasaheb Ambedkar. Stands for the cause of securing the interests and welfare of the dalits and oppressed people.
(A) Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)
(B) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
(C) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
(D) Indian National Congress (INC)
Answer: B

Question. Analyze the information given below, considering one of the following correct options:
Founded in 1980 by reviving the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh, formed by Syama Prasad Mukherjee in 1951. Wants to build a strong and modern India by drawing inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values; and Deendayal Upadhyaya’s ideas of integral humanism and Antyodaya. Cultural nationalism (or ‘Hindutva’) is an important element in its conception of Indian nationhood and politics.
(A) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
(B) All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)
(C) Indian National Congress (INC)
(D) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
Answer: A

Question. Find the incorrect options:
(A) Every party in the country has to register with the Election Commission.
(B) While the Commission treats all parties equally.
(C) It offers some special facilities to large and established parties.
(D) These parties are given an ordinary symbol– only the official candidates of that party can use that election symbol.
Answer: D

Question. Find the incorrect options:
(A) In a democracy, a large number of similar opinions have to be grouped to provide a direction in which policies can be formulated by the governments.
(B) That is what the parties do.
(C) A party reduces a vast multitude of opinions into a few basic positions which it supports.
(D) A government is expected to base its policies on the line taken by the opposition party.
Answer: D

Question. 

(A) (i)-(d), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(b)
(B) (i)-(b), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(d)
(C) (i)-(a), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(d), (iv)-(c)
(D) (i)-(c), (ii)-(d), (iii)-(b), (iv)-(a)
Answer: A

Question. Analyze the information given below, considering one of the following correct options:
One of the oldest parties in the world. Founded in 1885 and has experienced many splits. Played a dominant role in Indian politics at the National and State level for several decades after India’s Independence. Under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, the party sought to build a modern secular democratic republic in India.
(A) Communist Party of India (CPI)
(B) All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)
(C) Indian National Congress (INC)
(D) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
Answer: C

Assertion and Reason Based MCQs

Directions : In the following questions, A statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R).
Mark the correct choice as:
(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 and R is true.

Question. Assertion (A): Most people tend to be very critical of political parties.
Reason (R): They tend to blame parties for all that is wrong without democracy and our political life.
Answer: A

Question. Assertion (A): Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them.
Reason (R): Each of us has similar opinions and views on what policies are suitable for society.
Answer: C

Question. Assertion (A): Council Members form and run governments.
Reason (R): Parties recruit leaders, train them and then make them ministers to run the government in the way they want.
Answer: D

Question. Assertion (A): Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country.
Reason (R): Opposition parties also mobilize opposition to the government.
Answer: B

Question. Assertion (A): India has multi party system.
Reason (R): The multi party system often appears very messy and leads to political instability.
Answer: B

Question. Assertion (A): Political parties are easily one of the most visible institutions in a democracy.
Reason (R): For most ordinary citizens, democracy is equal to political parties.
Answer: A

Question. Assertion (A): The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies.
Reason (R): As societies became large and organised, they do not need any agency to gather different views on various issues and to present these to the government.
Answer: C

1-Mark Question

Question. Why is one party political system not considered a good democratic system?
Answer: Because one party system has no democratic option

Question. Why did India adopt multi-party system?
Answer: India adopted multi-party system because: a. India is a large country and has social and geographical diverges. b. It is easy to absorb different social and geographical diversities in a multi¬party systems.

Question. Name the alliance formed by the Congress Party.
Answer: United Progressive Alliance (UPA)

Question. Which party was the principal opposition party in Lok Sabha in 2004? 
Answer: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

Question. Name any one political party that has national level political organization but not recognized as the national political party.
Answer : Samajwadi Party/Samata Party/Rashtriya Janata Dal.

Question. What is meant by ‘Political Party’?
Answer: A political party is a group of people come together to contest elections to hold power in the government.

Question. What is the guiding philosophy of Bharatiya Janata Party?
Answer: a. Cultural nationalism b. India’s ancient culture and values

Question. What is the requirement laid down by the Election Commission for a political party to be recognized as a ’State Party’?
Answer: A party that secures at least six percent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a state and wins at least two seats is recognized as a state party.

Question. Name any two regional parties of West Bengal.
Answer: Two regional parties of West Bengal are: a. Marxist Forward Bloc b. Trinamool Congress

Question. If all the decisions of a political party are made by a single family and all other members are neglected, then what challenge is being faced by that party?
Answer:  Challenge of dynastic succession.

Question. Why do political parties involve partisanship?
Answer: Because the parties are a part of the society and thus they involve partisanship.

Question. What do you mean  Political parties ?
Answer: Political parties are one of the most visible institutions in a democracy. They reflect fundamental political divisions in a society.

Question. What are activities of the political parties ?
Answer: Parties contest elections, put forward different policies and  programmes, play a decisive role in making laws for a country, form and run government.

Question. Which parties play the role of opposition ?
Answer: Those parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition to the parties in power.

Question. Why the political parties are necessary in modern democracy?
Answer: Political parties are necessary in modern democracy as without it , every candidate in the election will be independent. So no one will be able to make any promises to the people about any major policy changes.

Question. Who recognized the parties in India?
Answer : Election Commission of India had recognized more than 750 parties in India.

Question. Where is one party rule? What is that party?
Answer: One party system is ruled in China. The communist party is allowed to the rule.

Question. What kind of political party are in India?
Answer: India has a multi-party system where the government is formed by various parties coming together in a coalition.

Question. What is called state party?
Answer: A party that secure at least six per cent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a state and wins at least two seats is recognised as state party.

Question. What is called national party?
Answer: A party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in the Lok  Sabha  elections or Assembly elections in four states  and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognized as national party.

Question. What are the national recognized parties in our country?
Answer: Seven national  recognised parties in our country i.e. INC,BJP,BSP,CPIM,CPI,NCP and AITC.

3-Marks Questions

Question. Explain three functions of  each of the ruling party.
Answer: Functions  of the ruling parties are as follows:-
(i) They play major role in making laws for the country.
(ii) They form the government and run the country.
(iii) They recruit leaders, train them and then make ministers to run the government.

Question. What are the characteristics of a political party?
Answer: Characteristics of a political party are:-

(i) Every party has a certain structure. The group of people is organized in a proper way.

(ii) All the members agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote the collective good. They seek to implement these policies by winning popular support through elections.

(iii) Political parties reflects fundamental political divisions in a society. Parties are about a part of the society and thus involve partnership.

Question. ”Political parties play a major role in modern democracy”. Explain any three points to justify this statement.
Answer: The political parties play an important role in modern democracy as:-

(i) Parties contest elections: In most democracies , elections are fought mainly among the candidates put up by political parties.

(ii)Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them.

(iii)Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country.

Question. What do you understand  by the bi-party system ?  Write its one merit and demerit .
Answer: Bi party system:-

(i) In some countries, power usually changes between two main parties. It is also known as two party system.

(ii) In this system, the government is formed by one party and other plays the role of opposition.

(iii) Merit:-This system allows stability of government as no coalition is there.

Demerit:- In this system, only two main parties have a serious chance of winning majority seats to form the government.

Question. What is a multi-party system? Why has India adopted a multi-party system? Explain.
Answer: Multi-party system: If several parties compete for power and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others, we call it a multi-party system. India adopted a Multi party system because:
(i) There is social and geographical diversity in India.

(ii) India is such a large country which is not easily absorbed by two or three parties.

(iii) The system allows a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.

Question. Name three major political alliances of India.
Answer: The three major alliances parties in India are:-

(i) The National Democratic Alliance(NDA) formed by BJP

(ii) The United Progressive Alliance(UPA)  formed  by Congress

(iii) Left Front formed by Communist Parties of India.

Question. What is meant by a ‘National Political Party’? State the conditions required to be a national political party.
Answer: National political party have units in the various states, they follow the same policies, programmes and strategy that is decided at the national level.

Conditions required:

(i)A party that secure at least six per cent of the total votes in general elections of Lok Sabha or assembly elections in four states.

(ii) Wins at least 4 seats in Lok Sabha.

5 Marks Questions

Question. What is the need of  the political party? How would its absence affect any country?
Answer: Political parties are necessary conditions for a demoracy” because of the following reasons---

(i) We cannot think modern democracies  without political parties. In case there are no political parties every candidate in the elections will be independent , no one will be able to make any promises to the people about any major policy changes. The government may be formed, but its utility  will remain always uncertain.

(ii) Elected representative will be accountable to their constituency for what they do in the locality.But, no one will responsible for how the country will run.

(iii) Political parties agree on policies and programmes to promote collective good and influence people to know why their policy is better than others. They try  to implement  the policies by winning popular support through elections.

(iv) The absence of political parties would affect a democracy badly. The interest of all the people would not reach the Parliament . Therefore, some sections of people would remain behind the mainstream . They would not get all the welfare measures.

(v) The role of opposition party in a democracy necessities the existence of political parties.

Question. What is meant by national parties? State the criteria for recognizing a party as National and State party.
Answer: (i) democracies that follow a federal system all over the world tend to have two kinds of political parties.

(ii) Parties that are present in only one of the federal units and parties that are present in several or all units of the federation.

(iii) Those parties which are countrywide parties are called national parties.

(iv) A party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a state and wins at least two seats is recognized as a state party.

(v) A  party that secures  at least six per cent of the total votes in the Lok Sabha elections or Assembly election in four states and wins at four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognized as a national party.

Question. Write the differences between National Party and state party.
Answer:

Question. Write about the national parties of India in detail.
Answer: In India we have seven national parties:-

(i) Indian National Congress (INC):- The Congress party was founded in 1885. It played an important role in Indian politics at the national and state levels after the independence . The party supports secularism and welfare of weaker sections and minorities.

(ii) Bharatiya Janata party (BJP): It was founded in 1980 by reviving the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh, cultural nationalism is its important element. It wants a uniform civil code for all people living in India.

(iii) Bhahujan Samaj Party (BSP): It was formed in 1984, under the leadership of Kanshi Ram. The party seeks to represent and secure the power for Bhahujan  Samaj which includes dalits,adivasis, OBCs and religious minorities.

(iv) Communist Party of India-Marxist(CPI-M): It was founded in 1964. The party believes in Marxism and Leninism. It supports socialism, secularism and democracy and oppose imperialism and communalism.

(v) Communist Party of India (CPI): It was formed in 1925. The party believes in Marxism and Leninism , secularism  and democracy and is opposed to the forces of secessionism and communalism . It accepts parliamentary democracy as the means of promoting the  interest of working class , farmers and the poor.

(vi) National Congress Party(NCP): It was formed in 1999 following a split in Congress Party. The party supports democracy , Gandhian secularism , equity,social justice and federalism. It wants high offices in the government to be confined to the natural born citizens.

(vii) All India Trinamool Congress (AITC):  It was founded on 1^st January 1998 under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee . The flag of the party is symbolized from ‘flowers and grass’ . It believes in secularism and federalism party in the Lok Sabha.

Question. Name the national political party which gets inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values. Mention four features of that party.
Answer: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gets inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values.

Four important features:

(i)Cultural nationalism or ‘Hindutva’ is an important element in its conception of Indian nationhood and politics.

(ii) The party wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and  Kashmir  with India.

(iii) A uniform civil code for all people living in the country irrespective of religion and ban on religious conversions.

(iv) Its support base increased substantially in the 1990s.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question. Name the national political party which draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Sahu Maharaj. Mention any four features of that party.
Answer:
The national political party which draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Sahu Maharaj is Bahujan Samaj Party.Four features of this party are as follows.

•  It wants to secure the interest and welfare of the dalits and oppressed classes.
•  It seeks to represent and secure power for the bahujan samaj which includes dalits, adivasis, OBCs and religious minorities.
•  It draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Mahatma Phule, Periyar, Ramaswami Naicker and Dr Ambedkar.
•  Its main base is in Uttar Pradesh.

Question. ‘No party system is ideal for all countries and all situations.’ Justify the statement with arguments.
Answer: 
No party system is ideal for all countries and all situations. This statement can be justified giving the following arguments.

•  A one-party system cannot be considered a good option because the voters do not have any choice and it is not a democratic option.
•  A two-party system cannot be considered ideal for a country because in this system, power usually shifts from one party to the other. Several other parties with better programmes and policies may exist, contest elections and win a few seats, but only the two party have serious chance of forming government.
• A multiparty system also cannot be considered a good option because it often appears messy and leads to political instability. In this system the government is formed by various parties and ideologies coming together which may further raise issues and conflicts.

Question. ‘Dynastic succession is one of the most serious challenges before the political parties.’ Analyse the statement.
Answer:
The challenge of dynastic succession is undoubtedly one of the most serious challenges before the political parties. The statement can be analysed giving the following arguments.

•  Most parties do not practice open and transparent procedures, hence, there are very few opportunities for an ordinary worker to rise to the top in a party.
•  Top leaders favour people close to them or even their family members. In many parties, the top positions are always controlled by members of one family.
•  This is bad for democracy because people without sufficient experience or popular support are able to enjoy positions of power.

Question. Name the six national political parties of India in chronological order.
Answer:
The following are the six national political parties of India in chronological order.

•  Indian National Congress (1885) .
• Communist Party of India (1925)
• Communist Party of India-Marxist (1964)
• Bhartiya Janata Party (1980)
• Bahujan Samaj Party (1984)
• National Congress Party (1999)

Question. Name any three national political parties along with their symbols.
Answer:

• Indian National Congress—symbol: hand, palm facing the people
• Bhartiya Janata Party—symbol: a lotus
• Bahujan Samaj Party—symbol: an elephant

Question. Name any six regional political parties of the four southern states of India.
Answer:

• The four southern states with regional political parties are as follows.
• Kerala: Indian Federal Democratic Party and Kerala Congress (Mani)
• Tamil Nadu: All India Anna DMK and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
• Andhra Pradesh: Telugu Desam Party
• Karnataka: Janata Dal (Secular)

Question. Name the regional political parties predominant in Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand respectively with their symbols
Answer:
The regional political parties predominant in:

• Punjab—Shiromani Akali Dal, symbol: scales
• Haryana—Indian National Lok Dal, symbol: a pair of spectacles
• Uttarakhand—Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, symbol: chair

Question. How do political parties shape public opinion? Explain with three examples.
Answer:
Political parties shape public opinion in the following ways.

•  They highlight and raise issues.
• Parties have lakhs of members spread all over the country. Often pressure groups are an extension of political parties, among different sections of the society. They help in taking up issues and forming public opinion.
•  Sometimes, parties launch movements for solving the problems faced by people. Often the public opinion develops on the same lines that the parties take.

Question. Name the national political party which gets inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values. Mention four features of that party.
Answer:
Bharatiya Janata Party gets its inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values. Four features of Bharatiya Janata Party are as follows.

• It wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India.
• It wants a uniform civil code for all people living in the country, irrespective of religion.
• It wants a ban on religious conversions.
• Hindutva or cultural nationalism is an important element in its conception of politics.

Question. Name the national political party which espouses secularism and welfare of weaker sections and minorities. Mention any four features of that party.
Answer:
National Congress Party, formed in 1999, espouses secularism and welfare of weaker sections and minorities. Four features of this party are as follows:

• It wants high offices in the government to be confined to natural-born citizens of the country.
• It stands for social justice, federalism and equity.
• It is a major party in Maharashtra with a significant presence in Meghalaya, Manipur and Assam.
• In Maharashtra, it is a coalition partner in alliance with the Congress.
• It is a member of the United Progressive Alliance since 2004.

Question. Name the regional political parties predominant in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Orissa, respectively with their symbols.
Answer:

• The regional political parties predominant in:
• Jharkhand—Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, symbol: bow and arrow
• Maharashtra—Shiv Sena, symbol: bow and arrow
• Orissa—Biju Janata Dal, symbol: conch

Question. What is a political party? State any two points of ideology of Bhartiya Janata Party.
Answer:
A political party is an association or a voluntary group of people who come together to contest election and hold power in the government. They agree on some policies and programmes. The ideology of Bhartiya Janata Party is as follows.

• It wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India.
• It wants to build a strong and modern India by drawing inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values.
• It wants a uniform civil code for all people living in the country, irrespective of religion.
• It wants religious conversions to be banned in India.

Question. “Serious efforts were made by the legal organisations to reform political parties in India.” Support the statement.
Answer:
Serious efforts were made by the legal organisations to reform political parties in India. The following points support the statement.

•  The Supreme Court has made it mandatory for the candidates contesting elections to produce an affidavit giving details of property and cases pending against them. It is hoped that this will reduce the influence of money and muscle power in elections.
• Anti-defection law has been passed by amending the constitution to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing their parties.
• The Election Commission has made it mandatory for the political parties to hold organisational elections and file their income tax returns.

Question. How do money and muscle power play an important role in elections? Explain.
Answer:
Nowadays elections are focused mainly on winning at any cost so parties try to use shortcuts like money and muscle power.

•  They try to select or nominate those candidates who can raise money or provide muscle power.
• Sometimes, wealthy people and big companies also get involved in the democratic politics for their own interest and influence decision-making process.
•  In many cases, candidates with criminal records, who can win elections, are supported.

Question. What is meant by a political party? Describe the three components of a political party.
Answer:
A political party is a political association or a voluntary group of people who come together to contest elections and hold political power in the government. They agree on some policies and programmes. Political parties are necessary for democracy. They provide an important two-way link between the government and the people. They also unite and aggregate like-minded people from diverse backgrounds and religions to form a wide coalition of people and provide unity in diversity.
For the three components of a political party, refer to answer 8.

Question. Name the regional political parties predominant in Sikkim, Nagaland and Manipur, respectively with their symbols.
Answer:

• ♦ The regional political parties predominant in:
• ♦ Sikkim—Sikkim Democratic Front, symbol: an umbrella
• ♦ Nagaland—Nagaland People’s Front, symbol: a cock
• Manipur—Manipur People’s Party, symbol: a cycle

Question. What is a multiparty system? Why has India adopted a multiparty system? Explain
Answer:
A multiparty system is a political system in which several parties contest the election to hold political power. In this system, there is a chance of two or more parties coming to power. This system also advocates coalition government and alliance politics. India adopted a multiparty system because of the following reasons.

•  India is blessed with tremendous social and geographical diversity. This diversity cannot be easily accommodated in one or two political parties.
•  Because of multiparty system, variety of interests and opinions enjoy political representation.

Question. ‘Lack of internal democracy within parties is the major challenge to political parties all over the world.’ Analyse the statement,
Answer:
Lack of internal democracy within political parties is a major challenge to political parties all over the world. This statement can be analysed giving the following reasons.

•  It is a tendency among political parties to concentrate power in the hands of one or few top leaders.
•  Parties do not often keep membership registers and do not hold organizational meetings and do not conduct internal elections regularly.
•  Sufficient information on what happens inside the party is not provided to the ordinary members of the party.
•  In such a situation, personal loyalty to the leader becomes more important.

Question. What is meant by a regional party? State the conditions required to be recognised as a regional political party.
Answer:
A regional party, also called a state party, is a political party which takes care of regional concerns and state’s interests only. It happens to have succeeded only in some states units of the federation.
The following are the conditions required for a party to be recognised as a regional party.

• A party has to secure at least six per cent of the total votes polled in the election to the legislative assembly of a state.
• It has to win at least two seats in the election to the legislative assembly of . a state to be recognised as a state or regional party.

Question. Which three challenges do you feel are being faced by political parties in India? Give your opinion.
Answer:
As political parties are the essence of democracy, it is natural that they are often blamed for the failure of any policy or the working of democracy. Mostly, political parties face the following challenges in their working area.

• Lack of internal democracy: Political parties face the problem of internal democracy, which implies that:
• parties do not hold organisational meetings.
• they do not conduct regular internal elections.
• membership of the party members is not fairly registered.
• all the members, except top leaders, are not included in the decision-making process.
• Dynastic succession:
• Another challenge is that in most of the political parties, the top posts are always controlled by the members of one family, which is very unfair to other members.
• Since open and transparent functioning is lacking, there are very few chances for an ordinary worker to rise to the top.
• Money and muscle power: The third challenge is the growing role of money and muscle power.
• Nowadays, elections are focussed mainly on winning at any cost, so parties try to use shortcuts like using money and muscle power.
• They try to select or nominate those candidates who can raise money or provide muscle power.
• Sometimes, wealthy people and big companies also get involved in the democratic politics for their own interest and try to influence the decision-making process.
• In some cases, parties support criminals who can win elections.
• Absence of a meaningful choice:
• In the present political scenario, there is no ideological difference among the political parties, so they do not provide a meaningful choice to voters.
• Those voters, who really want a change in the government and its policies, never get any positive option. For instance, in India, where we have multi-party system, the differences between the parties over the economic matters have reduced.
• Also, people cannot even elect different leaders because the same set of leaders keep shifting from one party to another.

Question. State the conditions laid down by the Election Commission to recognise a state party and a national party.
Answer:

• A party that secures at least six per cent 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.
• A party that secures at least six per cent 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.

Question. Describe any three main features of a two-party system
Answer:
Three main features of a two-party system are as follows.

• Power usually changes between two parties, while other political parties may exist.
• The party that wins the majority forms the government, while the other forms the major opposition.
• Decision-making and implementation is prompt and quick.
• Such a system gives a strong and good opposition.

Question. What is meant by a national political party? State the conditions required to be a national political party.
Answer:
A national political party is a party that is present in several or all units of the federation. In other words, it is a country-wide party. It has its units in various states. By and large, all these units follow the same policies. The following are the conditions required for a party to become a national party.

• A party has to secure at least six per cent of total votes polled in the Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four states.
• It has to win at least four seats in the Lok Sabha to be recognised as a national party.

Question. ‘Nearly every one of the state parties wants to get an opportunity to be part of one or the other national-level coalition.’ Support the statement with arguments
Answer:
Nearly every one of the state parties wants to get an opportunity to be part of one or the other national level coalition because:

• the members of the state party get a chance of being included in the cabinet or the council of ministers.
• state parties get an opportunity and a platform to express their views and ideology at the national level.
• it helps in strengthening of federalism and democracy, and thus bringing diversity in the parliament.

Question. Analyse the three components of a political party.
Answer:
The following are the three elements of a political party.

• The leaders: The leaders contest elections and, if they win, perform the administrative jobs.
• The active members: The active members attend party meetings and are close to the party leaders. They can be called the assistants of the leaders.
• The followers: The followers are the dedicated workers of the party. They work under the able guidance of the active members.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question. Describe any five major functions of political parties
Answer:
The following are the various functions political parties perform in a democracy.

• Contest elections: Parties contest elections. In countries like India, top party leaders choose candidates for contesting elections.
• Put forward policies and programmes: Parties put forward different policies and programmes and voters choose from them. Political parties accommodate different views and opinions.
• Play an important role in making laws: Political parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country. Formally, laws are debated and passed in the legislature, but since most of the members belong to a party, they go by the direction of the party leadership, irrespective of their personal opinions.
• Form and run government: To run the government, political parties prepare a council of ministers by recruiting and training the leaders.
• Provide access to government machinery and welfare schemes: Political parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by governments.

For an ordinary citizen, it is easy to approach a local party leader than a government officer.

• Play the role of position: The party which loses election plays the role of opposition.

Opposition party tries to put checks on the ruling party by constantly criticizing its policies.

• Shape public opinion: One of the most important functions of political parties is that they shape public opinion on relevant issues for the proper functioning of the government and to deepen the concept of democracy.

Question. ‘About hundred years ago there were few countries that had hardly any political party. Now there are few countries that do not have political parties.’ Examine the statement.
Answer:
The statement has two parts.

• About a hundred years ago, there were few countries that had hardly any political party. It shows that very few countries were democratic countries and if they were not democracies, there was no need for political parties.
• Now there are few countries that do not have political parties. In the last hundred years many countries became independent from colonial control. After independence,

they adopted democratic governments. So there was an increasing necessity for political parties.
The political parties have become very important in a democratic country because of the following reasons.

• Not having political parties will lead to chaos and turmoil in the society. It will be against democratic principles.
• Without parties, candidates elected will be independent and will not be able to make policies.

They will not be responsible and accountable to the people.

• The existence of parties in a democracy ensures that a country runs as per its policies and ideologies and have a government which is answerable to the people.

Question. ‘Political parties are a necessary condition for a democracy.’ Analyse the statement with examples.
Answer:
In a democratic set-up, political parties are required because without political parties:

• every candidate in the elections will be independent. No promises could be made and the utility of the government formed will remain uncertain.
• no one will be responsible for running the country. Elected representatives will only be accountable to their constituency
• there will be no agency to gather and present different views on various issues to the government.
• no one will be responsible for bringing various representatives together so as to form a responsible government.
• there will be no mechanism to support the government, make policies and justify or oppose them.

Question. Examine any two institutional amendments made by different institutions to reform political parties and their leaders.
Answer:
The following are the two institutional amendments made by different institutions to reform political parties and their leaders.

• Anti-defection law: The anti-defection law was passed to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing their parties. It was seen that many MLAs and MPs were changing their parties for personal gains. Now, according to the law, if any MLA or MP changes his/her party, his/her seat in the legislature will be lost. Also, MLAs and MPs have to accept whatever the party leaders decide.
• Affidavit: To reduce the influence of money and muscle power (criminals), an order has been passed by the Supreme Court making it mandatory for every candidate contesting election to file an affidavit giving details of his/her property and criminal records. This system has helped in making a lot of information available to the public. But, we cannot say that this amendment has been successful as it cannot be said that information provided by the candidates is true.
• Mandatory organisational meeting and filing of ITR: An order has been passed by the Election Commission making it mandatory for political parties to hold their organisational elections and file their income tax returns. The parties have started doing this, but sometimes it is only a formality. It is not clear if this step has brought some reform or not.

Question. How do state or regional political parties contribute in strengthening federalism and democracy in India? Explain with examples.
Answer:
State and regional political parties contribute in strengthening federalism and democracy in India in the following ways.

• They provide a variety of choice to people as each of them has different agendas and focus on different issues.
• They provide a platform for different pressure and social groups, and communities to put forward their demands.
• They help in power sharing by sharing power of government with the help of coalition government.

Question. Suggest and explain any five measures to reform political parties.
Answer:
The following reforms could be suggested in order to strengthen parties so that they perform their functions well.

• Regulation of party’s internal affairs: A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties. It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of their members, to follow their own constitution, to have an independent authority, etc.
• State funding: There should be state funding of elections. The government should give money to parties to support their election expenses to avoid corruption.
• Pressure of public opinion: Political parties can be reformed if people put pressure on them.

This can be done through petitions, propaganda and agitations. Pressure groups and media play an important role in this.

• Ban on political parties based on religion and caste: The Election Commission should ban the political parties which are formed on the basis of religion and caste.
•  Ensure women participation: It should be made mandatory for all political parties to allot onethird of the tickets to women to ensure their decisive voice in decision making.If the abovementioned suggestions are taken into consideration, it can be ensured that these could lead to some improvement in the working of the political parties.

Question. How is dynastic succession a major challenge for political parties in India? Explain.
Answer:
The challenge of dynastic succession is undoubtedly a major challenge for political parties in India. The following points explain this.

•  Usually, an ordinary worker does not rise to the top positions in a party because the functioning of most political parties is not transparent.
• Most of the top leaders favour and choose members of their families. This is unfair to other members.
• The top positions are always controlled by members of one family. This is unhealthy for democracy.
• People who are at top levels usually do no have adequate experience, education or popular support.
• The challenge of dynastic succession is related to the challenge of lack of internal democracy.

Non-deserving leaders exercise paramount power and make decisions. Those who disagree with the leadership find it difficult to continue in the party.

Case-based MCQs

I. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
Democracies that follow a federal system all over the world tend to have two kinds of political parties: parties that are present in only one of the federal units and parties that are present in several or all units of the federation. This is the case in India as well. There are some countrywide parties, which are called National parties. These parties have their units in various states. But by and large, all these units follow the same policies, programmes and strategy that is decided at the National level. Every party in the country has to register with the Election Commission. While the Commission treats all parties equally, it offers some special facilities to large and established parties. These parties are given a unique symbol – only the official candidates of that party can use that election symbol. Parties that get this privilege and some other special facilities are ‘recognised’ by the Election Commission for this purpose.
That is why these parties are called, ‘Recognised Political Parties’. The Election Commission has laid down detailed criteria of the proportion of votes and seats that a party must get in order to be a recognised party. A party that secures at least six per cent 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. A party that secures at least six per cent 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.

Question. Every party in the country has to register with:
(A) Prime Minister
(B) President
(C) Election Commission
(D) All of these
Answer: C

Question. Two regional parties of West Bengal are:
(A) Forward Bloc and Trinamool Congress
(B) All India Trinamool Congress and Forward Bloc
(C) National Congress Party and Forward Bloc
(D) Indian National Congress and Forward Bloc
Answer: A

Question. What does the Election Commission of India allot to all Parties so that they are called 'Recognised Political Parties'?
(A) Emblem
(B) Motif
(C) Symbol
(D) Flag
Answer: C

Question. A party is called 'National Party' only when it polls ___ of total valid votes in at least ___states and in addition it wins ___Lok Sabha Seats.
(A) 2%, Four, 4
(B) 6%, Four, 4
(C) 4%, Four, 4
(D) 2%, Four, 3
Answer: B

II. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
Let us look at some of the recent efforts and suggestions in our country to reform political parties and their leaders:
• The Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties. This was done because many elected representatives were indulging in DEFECTION in order to become ministers or for cash rewards. Now the law says that if any MLA or MP changes parties, he or she will lose the seat in the legislature. This new law has helped bring defection down. At the same time this has made any dissent even more difficult. MPs and MLAs have to accept whatever the party leaders decide.
• The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and criminals.
Now, it is mandatory for every candidate who contests elections to file an AFFIDAVIT giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him. The new system
has made a lot of information available to the public. But there is no system of checking whether the information given by the candidates is true. As yet, we do not know
if it has led to decline in the influence of the rich and the criminals.
The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organisational elections and file their income tax returns. The parties have started doing so but sometimes it is mere formality. It is not clear if this step has led to greater internal democracy in political parties.
Besides these, many suggestions are often made to reform political parties:
• A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties. It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of its members, to follow
its own constitution, to have an independent authority, to act as a judge in case of party disputes, to hold open elections to the highest posts.
• It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one-third, to women candidates.
Similarly, there should be a quota for women in the decision-making bodies of the party.
• There should be state funding of elections.
The government should give parties money to support their election expenses. This support could be given in kind: petrol, paper, telephone, etc. Or it could be given in cash
on the basis of the votes secured by the party in the last election.

Question. It should be made mandatory for Political Parties to give a minimum of about one-third of tickets to:
(A) Women
(B) SCs
(C) STs
(D) All of them
Answer: A

Question. The Government should give parties state funding of elections as:
(A) Diesel, Petrol, Kerosene oil, etc.
(B) Paper, Stationery, Printed forms, etc.
(C) Mobile Phones, Telephones, Computer, etc.
(D) Petrol, Paper, Telephone, etc.
Answer: D

Question. Changing Party allegiance from the Party on which a person got elected (to a legislative body) to a different Party was done normally by:
(A) Only MPs
(B) By both MPs and MLAs
(C) Only MLAs
(D) By none of them
Answer: B

Question. The Supreme Court has passed an order to file ___________ giving details of the property and criminal cases pending against every candidate who contests elections.
(A) writ
(B) case
(C) an affidavit
(D) charge
Answer: C

III. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
In some countries, power usually changes between two main parties. Several other parties may exist, contest elections and win a few seats in the National legislatures. But only the two main parties have a serious chance of winning majority of seats to form government. Such a party system is called twoparty system. The United States of America and
the United Kingdom are examples of two-party system. If several parties compete for power and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others, we call it a multi party system. Thus, in India, we have a multi party system. In this system, the government is formed by various parties coming together in a coalition.
When several parties in a multi-party system join hands for the purpose of contesting elections and winning power, it is called an alliance or a front. For example, in India there were three such major alliances in 2004 parliamentary elections– the National Democratic Alliance, the United Progressive Alliance and the Left Front. The multiparty system often appears very messy and leads to political instability. At the same time, this system allows a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.

Question. The Government is formed by various parties coming together in a/an ________.
(A) alliance
(B) front
(C) coalition
(D) opposition
Answer: C

Question. Which party leads the ruling NDA government at the Centre?
(A) Indian National Congress
(B) Bharatiya Janata Party
(C) Bahujan Samaj Party
(D) Communist Party of India
Answer: B

Question. Countries having Bi- party system:
(A) USA
(B) India
(C) China
(D) All of these
Answer: A

Question. The multi-party system:
(A) appears very messy.
(B) leads to political instability.
(C) not free to form a political party.
(D) Both (A) and (B)
Answer: D

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. Explain the three components of ‘Political Party’.
OR
Analyse the three components of a Political party.
OR
Describe the three components of a Political party.
Answer:
The three components of the political parties are:
(i) Leaders: The leaders are those who take major decisions of the party and their decisions are the supreme command for the party.
(ii) Active Members: Another component of political party is the active members who contest elections for the party and are elected as representatives.
(iii) Followers: The last one is the followers who support a political party and in elections make their party victorious.

Question. What is meant by ‘Regional Political Party’? State the conditions required to be recognized as a ‘Regional Political Party’.
Answer: A Regional Party is a party that is present in only some states.
Conditions required for a party to be recognized as a Regional Political Party are:
(i) A Party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State.
(ii) Wins at least two seats in the Legislative Assembly.

Question. Describe any three main features of Two-party system.
Answer: Main features of the Two-party system:
(i) Power usually changes between two parties, several other parties may exist.
(ii) In such a system, people get a clear choice.
(iii) The party that wins the majority forms the government and the other sits in Opposition.
(iv) Strong opposition is good for democracy.
(v) Prompt decisions are taken and implemented.
(vi) More development and less corruption.

Question. “Dynastic succession is one of the most serious challenges before the Political Parties”. Analyse the statement.
Answer: Dynastic succession is one of the most serious challenges before the Political Parties because:
(i) Most political parties do not practice open and transparent procedures for their functioning.
(ii) There are few ways for an ordinary worker to rise to the top of a Party.
(iii) In many Parties, the top positions are always controlled by Members of one family.
(iv) This practice is unfair to other members of that party and is also bad for Democracy.
(v) People who do not have adequate experience or popular support come to occupy a position of power.

Question. Name the National Political Party which espouses secularism and welfare of weaker sections and minorities. Mention any four features of that party. 
Answer: The National Political Party which espouses secularism and the welfare of weaker sections and minorities in the Indian National Congress.
Four features of this party are as listed below:
(i) Founded in 1885.
(ii) Dominated Indian Politics, both at the national and State levels, for several decades after India’s Independence.
(iii) Ruling party at the centre till 1977 and then from 1980 to 1989. After 1989, its support declined.
(iv) A centrist party (neither rightist nor leftist) in its ideological orientation.

Question. Describe the role of political parties in India. 
Answer: Role of Political Parties:
(i) Parties contest elections.
(ii) Parties put forward different policies and programmes.
(iii) Parties form and run the government.
(iv) Parties that lose in the election play the role of opposition.
(v) Parties shape public opinion.
(vi) Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes.

Question. What is a Political Party? State any two points of the ideology of Bharatiya Janta Party?
Answer: A Political Party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. They agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promoting the collective good.
The Ideology of BJP:
(i) Wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India.
(ii) A uniform civil code for all people living in the Country irrespective of Religion.
(iii) Cultural Nationalism.

Question. Explain any three functions of Opposition Political Parties.
Answer:
Three functions of Opposition Political Parties are:
(i) The main function of an Opposition Party is to force the ruling party or the party in power to function properly and fulfill their promises made during the electoral campaign.
(ii) They are very important for any bill to pass or any law to implement in the House of the Legislature.
(iii) Because in a democracy such as India, a complete majority is not possible therefore, opposition parties also hold power in certain areas and are equally important.

Question. “Nearly every one of the State Parties wants to get an opportunity to be a part of one or the other national level coalition.” Support the statement with arguments.
Answer: State Parties seeking National Level Coalition:
Before the general elections of 2014, in three General Elections, no one National Party was able to secure on its own a majority in Lok Sabha. As a result, the national parties
were compelled to form alliances with state or regional parties. Since 1996, nearly every one of the state parties has got an opportunity to be a part of one or the other National Level Coalition Government.
This has contributed to the strengthening of Federalism and Democracy.

Question. What is meant by a ‘National Political Party’? State the conditions required to be a National Political Party. 
Answer: National Political Parties have units in the various States, they follow the same policies, programmes and strategy that is decided at the National level.
Conditions required:
(i) A party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in general elections of Lok Sabha or Assembly elections in four states.
(ii) Wins at least 4 seats in Lok Sabha.

Question. Describe about the ideology and organization of Bahujan Samaj Party.
Answer: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram. Its main aim is that it seeks to represent and secure power for the Bahujan Samaj which includes the Dalits and Adivasis, OBCs and Religious Minorities.

Question. Name the ‘Regional Political Parties’ that are predominant in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Odisha respectively with their symbols.
Answer: Jharkhand—JMM—Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, its symbol is Bow & Arrow.
Maharashtra—INC—Indian National Congress, its symbol is Hand.
Odisha—BJD—Biju Janata Dal, its symbol is Conch.

Question. What is a Multi-party system? Why has India adopted a Multi-party system? Explain.
Answer: Multi-party system:
If several parties compete for power and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their strength or in alliance with others, we call it a Multi-party system.
India adopted a Multi-party system because:
(i) There is social and geographical diversity in India.
(ii) India is such a large country, which is not easily absorbed by two or three parties.
(iii) The system allows a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.

Question. Describe the necessity of political parties in a democratic country? 
Answer: Political parties are necessary for democratic countries because:
(i) Without political parties, democracies cannot exist.
(ii) If we do not have political parties, in such a situation every candidate in elections will be independent.
(iii) No one will be able to make any promises to the people about any major policy changes.
(iv) The government may be formed, but its utility will remain uncertain.
(v) Elected representatives will be accountable to their constituency for what they do in their locality. But no one will be responsible for how the country will run.
(vi) The role of an opposition party in a democracy necessitates the existence of political parties.
(vii) As societies become large and complex, they also need some agencies to gather different views on various issues and to present these to the government, that’s why, political parties are needed.

Question. Name any six ‘Regional Political Parties’ of the four Southern States of India.
Answer: Tamil Nadu — AIADMK (All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), DMK.
Andhra Pradesh — Telugu Desam, Lok Satta Kerala — Kerala Congress (Joseph)
Puducherry — AINRC (All India N. R. Congress)

Question. State the conditions as laid down by the Election Commission to recognize a ‘State Party’ and ‘National Party’. 
Answer: The difference between a State and a National Party can be identified as follows:
(i) In a State Party, the party members aim to highlight regional interests. On the other hand, a national Party gives due importance to national interests.
(ii) A State Party can contest in elections only in a particular state, whereas a national party can contest in elections all across the Country.
(iii) Example: BJP and Congress are National Parties, whereas Akali Dal and Trinamool Congress are State-level Parties.

Question. What do you understand by the Bi-party system?
Write its one merit and one demerit. 
Answer: Bi-party system:
In some countries, power usually changes between the two main parties. It is also known as the two party system. In this system, the government is formed by one party and the other plays the role of opposition.
Merit: This system allows stability of the government as no coalition is there.
Demerit: In this system, only two main parties have a serious chance of winning majority seats to form the government.

Question. Which three challenges do you feel are being faced by Political Parties in India? Give your opinion.
OR
What are the various challenges faced by Political Parties? A
Answer: The three challenges faced by political parties in India are:
(i) Lack of Internal democracy.
(ii) Challenge of Dynastic succession.
(iii) Growing role of money and muscle power.
(iv) Often parties do not seem to offer a meaningful choice to the voters.

Question. “Serious efforts were made by the legal organizations to reform political parties in India.” Support the statement. 
Answer: Efforts made by the legal organizations to reform Political Parties in India are:
(i) To check defection, the Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLA’s and MPS’s from changing Parties.
(ii) The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and criminals, by making it mandatory to produce an affidavit giving details of the property and criminal cases pending against the Candidate.
(iii) The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organisational elections and file their Income tax returns.

Question. How are Political Parties recognized as Regional and National Parties in India? Explain with examples. 
Answer:
In India, Political Parties are recognized as Regional and National parties in the following ways:
(i) A Regional Party refers to the party that obtains a minimum of 6% of the total votes in State Assembly elections and acquires a minimum of two seats.
On the contrary, if a party occupies 6% of the total votes polled in the elections of the lower house of Parliament or Legislative Assembly elections in four states and gains four seats in the lower house then that party is granted the status of the National Party.
(ii) A Regional Party’s symbol can be changed and repeated in another state. Conversely, the symbol of a National Party is permanent which cannot be repeated.
(iii) A Regional Party influences a particular region or state. In contrast, a National Party influences over the entire country.
(iv) A Regional Party must win seats of at least two states. While, a national party must win seats in at least four States.
(v) A Regional Party aims at promoting regional interest. On the other end, a national Party aims at resolving National and International Issues.
Examples of national parties: BJP, CPI (M), INC, BSP, etc.
Examples of regional parties: AAP, Shiv Sena, All India Forward Bloc, etc.

Question. Exhibit the role of money and muscle power among Political Parties during Elections.
OR
How do money and muscle power play an important role in Elections? Explain.
Answer: Role of money and muscle power among Political Parties during Elections:
(i) Since Parties are focused only on winning elections, they tend to use shortcuts to win Elections.
(ii) They tend to nominate those Candidates who have or can raise lots of money.
(iii) Rich people and companies who give funds to the parties tend to influence on the Policies and Decisions of the Party.
(iv) In some cases, Parties support criminals who can win elections.
(v) Democrats all over the world are worried about the increasing role of rich people and big companies in Democratic Politics.