National Political Parties in India: Full List, Definition Of Political Parties, Types, & Many More

According to the Election Commission of India's most recent publication, which was dated September 23, 2021, there were a total of 2858 parties registered, including 54 state parties, 8 national parties, and 2797 unrecognized parties. But before knowing the names of all the political parties, it is important to know the meaning of a political party. Here is everything you need to know about political parties in India. 

What is a political party? 

Political parties are voluntary organizations or structured groups of people who hold the same political beliefs, attempt to gain power through legal channels, and wish to advance national interests.

Types of political parties

Political parties are categorized in many ways. Generally speaking, there are four distinct varieties of political parties in today's democracies.

1. Reactionary parties: Conservative groups that refuse to abandon their support for outdated economic and political structures

2. Conservative parties: Parties that favor maintaining the status quo

3. Liberal parties: Parties on the liberal side of the political spectrum seek to reform and modernize the status quo.

4. Radical parties: Parties on the radical left seek to replace the status quo with something new.

Ideologies are also used to categorize political parties as well. Conservative and reactionary parties are considered to be on the right of the political spectrum, while liberal parties are located on the left. In India, the CPI and CPM are examples of leftist parties, the Congress is an example of a centrist party, and the BJP is an example of a rightist party.

Types of Political Party Systems in the world

There are three kinds of political party systems in the world:

1. One-party system: There is only one legal political party in a one-party system, and all other groups are banned. As an extreme case of a totalitarian state, the Soviet Union is a prime example of a one-party dictatorship.

2. The United States, for instance, has a two-party system with the Republicans and the Democrats serving as the two major political parties.

3.  Multiple political parties exist, often resulting in minority or coalition administrations. Examples of multi-party systems include India, France, and Switzerland

Full list of National Political Parties

To be classified as a National Political Party, they have to win at least four seats in a Lok Sabha General Election from one or more states and obtain at least 6% of the legal votes in an Assembly or a Lok Sabha General Election in four or more states. Also, candidates from three states have to be elected and the party has to obtain 2% of the seats in the Lok Sabha in a general election.