Question 1.
Choose the correct option from the given options and complete the sentences.
(1) When people come together and participate in electoral process, to acquire political power, such organisations are called ............ .
(a) Government
(b) Society
(c) Political parties
(d) Social organisations
Answer :
(c) Political parties
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(2) National Conference is a party in ............ this region.
(a) Odisha
(b) Assam
(c) Bihar
(d) Jammu and Kashmir
Answer :
(d) Jammu and Kashmir
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(3) Justice Party-a non-Brahmin movement was transformed into .......... Political Party.
(a) Assam Gan Parishad
(b) Shivsena
(c) Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam
(d) Jammu and Kashmir National Conference
Answer :
(c) Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam
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Question 2.
State whether following statements are true or false. Give reasons for your answer.
(1) Political parties act as a link between government and people.
Answer :
True :
- Political parties communicate the demands and complaints of the people to the government
- The government tries to get support of the people for its policies and programmes through political parties.
- People's reaction to the policies and their expectations are conveyed to the government too by the parties.
In this way, political parties act as a link between government and the people.
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(2) Political parties are social organisations.
Answer :
True :
- People who have similar views come together voluntarily and form a party, so it can be said that political parties are an integral part of our society.
- The political parties try to solve problems of the people.
- Some political parties represent the role of a particular community in society, its ideology and work to achieve it.
Hence it can be said that political parties are social organizations.
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(3) Coalition politics leads to instability.
Answer :
Answer :
- As no single party got majority after the elections held in 1989, coalition government came to power at the centre and many states.
- Parties had to set aside their policies and programmes and concentrate on a common agenda to run the government.
- Both Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party made an experiment of establishing coalition government.
- The National Democratic Alliance formed by BJP and its partners and the Democratic Front government formed by Congress and its partners ruled at the centre and state level effectively.
- The belief that coalition government brings instability was proved wrong by the political party system in our country. In fact, the coalition government system as stabilised in India.
Therefore, the belief that coalition government brings instability was proved wrong.
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(4) Shiromani Akali Dal is a national party.
Answer :
False.
The Election Commission of India recognises a political party as National or Regional party on the basis of specific criteria namely :
- The number of seats secured in Parliament and Legislative Assembly or percentage of votes secured.
- Shiromani Akali Dal does not meet the criteria listed above.
- As its influence is limited to the state of Punjab and not in any other state.
The Election Commission has given recognition to it as regional party.
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Question 3.
Explain the following concepts.
(1) Regionalism
Answer :
- India is a vast country with great physical diversity. People belonging to different regions have their own language, culture and traditions.
- Along with the physical diversity, we find diversity in literature, education, history and movements.
- Each one feels an affinity for his language, traditions and history of social reforms. This gives rise to linguistic identity.
- This affinity towards all the above mentioned aspects develops into identity consciousness and gives rise to excessive regional pride. People start giving preference only to the development of their language and region.
This is known as Regionalism.
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(2) National Parties
Answer :
A party which functions at the national level is known as National Party.
- The Election Commission has laid certain criteria for a party to get recognised as a Political party. The political party should secure at least 8% valid votes in tour or more states in the earlier Lok Sabha or State Assembly elections and minimum four members should be elected in the Lok Sabha from any state or states in the earlier elections. OR
- The candidates of a party should be elected from minimum three states or should be elected from minimum 2% constituencies of the total Lok Sabha constituencies. OR
- It is important to get recognition as a state party in at least four states.
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Question 4.
Answer the following questions in brief.
(1) What are the major characteristics of political parties?
Answer :
The main features of political parties are as follows :
- Political parties aim at securing power by contesting elections.
- Every political party has some ideology.
- Every party has an agenda. It is based on the party's ideology.
- The party that gets majority seats in election forms the government and the one that does not secure the majority act as opposition parties.
- Political parties are a link between the people and the government and work to gain the support of the people.
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(2) What changes have taken place in the nature of political parties in India?
Answer :
The following changes were seen in the party system in India :
- Indian National Congress was the only dominant party in states and at the centre after independence.
- All other parties came together and formed coalition in 1977 and defeated the Congress. For the first time in history the two party system got importance over one party system.
- One party system came to an end after the 1989 elections.
- Regional parties got importance and coalition government was formed at the centre and in the states.
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