Political Parties in India: The three types of political parties
Information on Political parties is an important aspect for competitive exam.
Let us have a look at the major political parties in India.
India has three types of political parties
1. National Parties
2. State Recognized Parties
3. Unrecognized Parties
National Parties in India
Lok Sabha has 543 seats in total out of which a part should at least have 2 per cent of seats from at least three different states in India. India has seven national political parties.
1. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Symbol Lotus
Founded on December 1980
Founder Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani
Current Leader J.P. Nadda
2. Indian National Congress (INC)
Symbol Hand
Founded on 1885
Founder British civil servant Allan Octavian Hume
Current Leader Sonia Gandhi
3. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
Symbol Clock
Founded on 25th May 1999
Founder Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar
Current Leader Sharad Pawar
4. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
Symbol Elephant
Founded on April 14, 1984
Founder Kanshi Ram
Current Leader Mayawati
5. Communist Party of India (CPI)
Symbol Ears of corn and sickle
Founded on December 1925
Founder M.N.Roy, Abani Mukherjee, Evelyn Trent Roy, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Siddiqui
Current Leader Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy
6. Communist Party of India Marxist(CPI-M)
Symbol Hammer, sickle and star
Founded on 7 th Nov 1964
Founder P.Sundarayya,Namboodiripad,Harkishan Singh, A.K.Gopalan, Promode Dasgupta, B.T.Ranadive, M Basavatunnaiah, Jyoti Basu, P.Ramamurti
Current Leader Sitaram Yechury
Read more: Parliament of India: Composition of the Rajya Sabha & Lok Sabha
7. All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)
Symbol Flowers and Grass
Founded on 1 January 1998
Founder Mamta Banerjee
Current Leader Mamta Banerjee
State Recognized Parties
A political party should at least win three per cent of the total number of seats in the legislative assembly.
Following are the list of State Recognised Parties.
1. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was started in 2012 in Delhi, Punjab.
2. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) was started in 1972 in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu.
3. All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) was started in 1939 in West Bengal.
4. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) was started in 1927 in Telangana.
5. All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) was started in 2011 in Puducherry.
6. All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) was started in 2004 in Assam.
7. All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) was started in 1986 in Jharkhand.
8. Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was started in 1985 in Assam.
9. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) was started in 1997 in Odisha.
10. Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) was started in 1985 in Assam.
11. Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam (DMDK) was started in 2005 in Tamil Nadu.
12. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was started in 1949 in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu.
13. Haryana Janhit Congress [ HJC(BL)] was started in 2007 in Haryana.
14. Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) was started in 1968 in Meghalaya.
15. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) was started in 1999 in Haryana.
16. Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) was started in 1948 in Kerala.’
17. Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) was started in 1932 in Jammu & Kashmir.
18. Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) was started in 1982 in Jammu & Kashmir.
19. Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (JKPDP) was started in 1998 in Jammu & Kashmir.
20. Janata Dal (Secular), JD (S), was started in 1999 in Karnataka, Kerala.
21. Janata Dal (United), JD (U), was started in 1999 in Bihar.
22. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was started in 1972 in Jharkhand.
23. Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), JVM(P), was started in 2006 in Jharkhand.
24. Kerala Congress (M), KC(M), was started in 1979 in Kerala.
25. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) was started in 2000 in Bihar.
26. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) was started in 2006 in Maharashtra.
27. Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) was started in 1963 in Goa.
28. Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) was started in 1997 in Manipur.
29. Mizo National Front (MNF) was started in 1959 in Mizoram.
30. Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) was started in 1972 in Mizoram.
31. Naga People’s Front (NPF) was started in 2002 in Manipur, Nagaland.
32. National People’s Party (NPP) was started in 2013 in Meghalaya.
33. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) was started in 1989 in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu.
34. People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) was started in 1987 in Arunachal Pradesh.
35. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was started in 1997 in Bihar, Jharkhand.
36. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) was started in 1996 in Uttar Pradesh.
37. Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) was started in 2013 in Bihar.
38. Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) was started in 1940 in Kerala, West Bengal.
39. Samajwadi Party (SP) was started in 1992 in Uttar Pradesh.
40. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was started in 1920 in Punjab.
41. Shiv Sena (SS) was started in 1966 in Maharashtra.
42. Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) was started in 1993 in Sikkim.
43. Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) was started in 2013 in Sikkim.
44. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was started in 2001 in Telangana.
45. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was started in 1982 in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana.
46. United Democratic Party (UDP) was started in 1972 in Meghalaya.
47. YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) was started in 2011 in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana.
48. Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya), SJP, was started in 1990 in Uttar Pradesh.
Read more: List of all Important Awards and Their field (Updated list December 2019)
Unrecognized Parties
There are many unrecognised political parties in India which do not gain much attention in the elections. Unrecognized Political Party cannot contest an election on its symbol. This party has to choose from the list of ‘free symbols’ issued by the poll panel.
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