Polity · X-Factor Notes
Political Parties revision notes for UPPCS Prelims.
21 revision facts
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Recognition Authority | The Election Commission of India (ECI) provides recognition to political parties. | - |
| Process of Registration | Registration of political parties is provided for under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. | - |
| Registration Body | Registration of political parties is carried out by the Election Commission. | - |
| Number of National Parties | Presently, 8 political parties are recognised as National level parties in India. | - |
| National Party Criteria | A political party can be recognized as a National Party if it has state party status in at least four states. | UPPCS (Pre) 2000 |
| Regional Party Criteria (Votes) | A political party may be recognized as a regional party if it manages to win at least 8% of the total valid votes cast in the entire State (considered the most suitable option among criteria). | UPPCS (Pre) 2014 |
| Nature of Right to Vote | Elections to the State Legislatures are based on adult suffrage (Art. 326). | UPPCS (Mains) 2011 |
| Inner-Party Democracy | Refers to periodical elections within the party to elect the office bearers. | - |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| CPI Formation in India | The Communist Party of India (CPI) was founded in 1925 in Kanpur (now in Uttar Pradesh State). | UPPCS (Mains) 2011 |
| CPI Split | The Communist Party of India divided into CPI and CPI (M) in 1964. | UPPCS (Mains) 2011 |
| Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) | The BJP is the successor Party of the Bhartiya Jan Sangh (1951). Its first President was Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1980). | U.P.R.O/A.R.O. (Mains) 2017 (for matching year 1951/1972) |
| BJP Vote Percentage (1984, 1989, 1991) | Secured 7.4%, 11.4%, and 22.4% of votes respectively in these Lok Sabha elections. | - |
| Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Formation | Formed in 1999 following a split in the Congress Party. | - |
| Regional Party Examples | Akali Dal is a regional political party of Punjab. Telugu Desham Party (TDP) is a regional party of Andhra Pradesh. | U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2008, U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2009 |
| Chronological Order of Parties (Establishment) | Telugu Desham Party (TDP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP), All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). | UPPSC Prelims 2022 |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| First Constitutional Recognition | Political parties got Constitutional recognition for the first time in 1985. | UPPCS (Mains) 2010 |
| Constitutional Basis (Defection) | This recognition was achieved through the addition of the Tenth Schedule (to curb defection) to the Constitution. | UPPCS (Mains) 2010 |
| Anti-Defection Law Enactment | Added by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985. | UPPCS (Mains) 2010 |
| Disqualification Exemption (Defection) | A member is not disqualified if they go out of their party as a result of a merger of the party with another party, provided two-thirds of the members of the original party agree to the merger. | - |
| Right to Vote (Constitutional Amendment) | The voting age was decreased from 21 years to 18 years by the 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1989. | - |
| Political Features of India | In India, political parties forming governments often represent the majority of seats but not necessarily the majority of votes, because elections based on the majority-vote-system (First-Past-the-Post) are decided on the basis of relative majority. | - |
