Political Parties

1. Which provision of the Constitution of India refers to a political

Which provision of the Constitution of India refers to a political party?

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Election of the President of India under Article 55
Disqualification for membership of the Parliament under Article 102
Superintendence, direction and control of elections under Article 324
Defection under Tenth Schedule
This question was previously asked in
UPSC Combined Section Officer – 2019-20
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The provision of the Constitution of India that refers to a political party is the Tenth Schedule.
– A) Article 55 deals with the manner of election of the President, involving an electoral college comprising elected Members of Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies. It does not explicitly refer to political parties.
– B) Article 102 deals with disqualifications for membership of Parliament (e.g., holding office of profit, being of unsound mind). It does not explicitly mention political parties. Disqualification on grounds of defection, related to political parties, is provided for in the Tenth Schedule, although enabled by Article 102(2) and 191(2).
– C) Article 324 deals with the superintendence, direction, and control of elections by the Election Commission. While the Election Commission registers and recognizes political parties under statutory law (Representation of the People Act), Article 324 itself does not explicitly refer to political parties.
– D) The Tenth Schedule was added to the Constitution by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985, to deal with disqualification of Members of Parliament and State Legislatures on the ground of defection. This Schedule is entirely based on the concept of membership of a ‘political party’ and the conduct of a member in relation to their ‘legislature party’. Paragraph 2 of the Schedule directly refers to members defecting from their political party.
The Tenth Schedule is often referred to as the Anti-Defection Law. Its primary purpose is to curb political defections by members of Parliament and state legislatures from one political party to another. It explicitly uses the term “political party” and “legislature party”.

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2. Which one among the following political parties came second in terms o

Which one among the following political parties came second in terms of seats won in the first Lok Sabha election in India ?

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Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party
Communist Party of India
People's Democratic Front
Socialist Party
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2023
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The first general election to the Lok Sabha in India was held in 1951-52. The results were:
1. Indian National Congress (INC) – 364 seats
2. Communist Party of India (CPI) – 16 seats
3. Socialist Party – 12 seats
4. Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (KMPP) – 9 seats
5. People’s Democratic Front (PDF) – 7 seats
The party that won the second highest number of seats was the Communist Party of India (CPI).
– The first general election (1951-52) was a landmark event in Indian democracy.
– The Indian National Congress, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, secured a dominant majority.
– Knowing the performance of other parties helps understand the initial multi-party landscape.
The Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (KMPP) was formed by J.B. Kripalani. The Socialist Party was a significant opposition force initially but faced internal divisions. The People’s Democratic Front was active primarily in Hyderabad State.

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3. Consider the following pairs : Party Its Leader 1.

Consider the following pairs :

PartyIts Leader
1.Bharatiya Jana SanghDr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
2.Socialist PartyC. Rajagopalachari
3.Congress for DemocracyJagjivan Ram
4.Swatantra PartyAcharya Narendra Dev

How many of the above are correctly matched ?

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Only one
Only two
Only three
All four
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2024
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The correct option is B.
Pair 1: Bharatiya Jana Sangh was founded by Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in 1951. This is correctly matched.
Pair 2: The Socialist Party was associated with leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Dev, Ram Manohar Lohia, etc. C. Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra Party. This is incorrectly matched.
Pair 3: The Congress for Democracy was formed by Jagjivan Ram and other leaders who left the Indian National Congress just before the 1977 general election. This is correctly matched.
Pair 4: The Swatantra Party was founded by C. Rajagopalachari in 1959. Acharya Narendra Dev was a prominent Socialist leader. This is incorrectly matched.
Only two pairs (1 and 3) are correctly matched.

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4. Consider the following statements: In the first Lok Sabha, the singl

Consider the following statements:

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  • In the first Lok Sabha, the single largest party in the opposition was the Swatantra Party.
  • In the Lok Sabha, a “Leader of the Opposition” was recognised for the first time in 1969.
  • In the Lok Sabha, if a party does not have a minimum of 75 members, its leader cannot be recognised as the Leader of the Opposition.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1 and 3 only
2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
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UPSC IAS – 2018
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Statement 1 is incorrect. In the first Lok Sabha (1952-1957), the single largest party in the opposition was the Communist Party of India (CPI), not the Swatantra Party, which was formed later in 1959.
Statement 2 is correct. The post of ‘Leader of the Opposition’ was formally recognized in the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1969. It was given statutory recognition later by the Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977.
Statement 3 is incorrect. For a party’s leader to be recognized as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the party must have a strength equal to at least 10% of the total strength of the House. This threshold is 55 members (10% of 545), not 75.
Therefore, only statement 2 is correct.
– Swatantra Party was not the largest opposition in the first Lok Sabha.
– Leader of the Opposition was officially recognized in 1969.
– The minimum strength required for a party to have a recognized Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha is 10% of the total strength of the House (55 members).
The absence of a recognized Leader of the Opposition can occur if no opposition party secures the required 10% seats. This happened after the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 and 2019.

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5. Who among the following leaders is associated with the concept of part

Who among the following leaders is associated with the concept of party less democracy ?

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J B Kripalani
Jayprakash Narayan
Acharya Narendra Dev
Vinoba Bhave
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UPSC CAPF – 2017
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Jayprakash Narayan is strongly associated with the concept of party less democracy.
Jayprakash Narayan, often referred to as JP, advocated for ‘Nirdalaiya Loktantra’ or Partyless Democracy, believing that political parties distorted the democratic process and that true democracy could only flourish through empowered local communities and direct participation without party structures.
He propagated this idea extensively, particularly through his ‘Total Revolution’ movement in the 1970s, which aimed at fundamental social, economic, and political change in India, emphasizing popular participation and decentralization. While other leaders like Vinoba Bhave were associated with Sarvodaya which shares some philosophical ground, JP is the most prominent figure directly advocating for ‘partyless democracy’. J B Kripalani was a prominent Congress leader and later a critic of Nehru. Acharya Narendra Dev was a leading figure in the socialist movement.

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6. The term ‘Congress System’ was coined by :

The term ‘Congress System’ was coined by :

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D.L. Seth
Rajni Kothari
James Manor
Christophe Jaffrelot
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2015
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The term ‘Congress System’ was coined by Rajni Kothari.
Rajni Kothari, a renowned Indian political scientist, used the term ‘Congress System’ to describe the period of dominance of the Indian National Congress party in India’s politics from independence until the late 1960s, where the Congress acted both as the ruling party and the main opposition within a broad coalition framework.
Rajni Kothari’s work provided a significant theoretical framework for understanding the nature of party politics and the state in India during this period. His book “Politics in India” (1970) elaborated on this concept.

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7. Statement I : The recent national election results in India are indica

Statement I : The recent national election results in India are indicative of a transition towards a new region based multi-party system.
Statement II : The intensification of competitive politics has changed the party system in India from being a rivalry between national parties into one between alliances and coalition of national and state parties.

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Both the statements are individually true and statement II is the correct explanation of statement I
Both the statements are individually true but statement II is not the correct explanation of statement I
Statement I is true but statement II is false
Statement I is false but statement II is true
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UPSC CAPF – 2011
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Both Statement I and Statement II are individually true, and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I.
The Indian party system has transitioned from a single-party dominant system to a multi-party system characterized by competitive alliances and coalitions involving both national and regional parties.
Statement I suggests that recent national election results indicate a move towards a “region based multi-party system”. While potentially debatable as the sole characterization, it captures the increased importance of regional parties. Statement II states that intensified competitive politics has changed the system from one primarily between national parties to one between alliances/coalitions of national and state parties. This is an accurate description of the shift in Indian politics, especially since the late 20th century. This shift directly explains why regional (state) parties have become crucial players in national politics and elections, forming necessary components of national coalitions. Therefore, Statement II provides the underlying mechanism for the outcome described in Statement I.

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8. By fulfilling which of the following conditions can a political party

By fulfilling which of the following conditions can a political party claim the status of a national party ?

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  • 1. It secures at least six per cent (6%) of the valid votes polled in any four or more states, at a general election to the House of the People or, to the State Legislative Assembly
  • 2. It wins at least four seats in the House of the People from any State or States or wins at least two per cent (2%) seats in the House of the People (i.e., 11 seats in the existing House having 543 members), and these members are elected from at least three different States
  • 3. The party in question has got recognition as a state party in at least two states
  • 4. It must have its headquarters in New Delhi

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1, 2 and 3
2 and 4
1 and 2 only
1, 3 and 4
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2017
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According to the Election Commission of India, a political party can be recognized as a National Party if it fulfills any one of several criteria. Two of these criteria involve securing a minimum percentage of votes and/or winning a minimum number of seats in general elections from a specified number of states. Statement 1 describes a part of one such criterion (6% votes in 4+ states), and statement 2 describes other parts (winning 4 Lok Sabha seats) and a complete alternative criterion (2% Lok Sabha seats from 3+ states). Statement 3 (State Party in 2 states) is incorrect as the requirement is 4 states. Statement 4 (Headquarters in New Delhi) is not a criterion. Therefore, statements 1 and 2 describe the relevant conditions among the given options that can be fulfilled for national party status.
The criteria for National Party status are set by the Election Commission of India and primarily involve performance in Lok Sabha or State Assembly elections across multiple states, or recognition as a state party in a minimum number of states.
The three main criteria (any one of which needs to be met) are: (i) 6% vote share in 4+ states (LS or Assembly) + 4 LS seats; (ii) 2% of total LS seats (currently 11) from 3+ states; or (iii) Recognized as a State Party in 4 states.

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9. The Election Commission recognizes a political party as a national par

The Election Commission recognizes a political party as a national party if

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  • 1. it secures at least six percent of the total valid votes polled in four or more States in a general election to the Lok Sabha or to the State Legislative Assemblies.
  • 2. it wins at least four seats in a general election to the Lok Sabha from any State or States.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2016
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Option C is correct because the first criterion for a political party to be recognized as a National Party by the Election Commission of India requires fulfilling both conditions mentioned in statement 1 and statement 2 simultaneously.
– Statement 1 describes securing at least six percent of the total valid votes polled in four or more States in a general election to the Lok Sabha or to the State Legislative Assemblies.
– Statement 2 describes winning at least four seats in a general election to the Lok Sabha from any State or States.
– According to Election Commission rules, one of the ways to be recognised as a National Party is to meet both the condition in statement 1 AND the condition in statement 2 (Criterion 1: 6% vote share in 4+ states + 4 LS seats).
There are other criteria for National Party recognition as well:
– Winning at least two percent of the total seats in the Lok Sabha (currently 11 seats) from at least three different States.
– Being recognised as a State party in at least four States.
The question focuses specifically on the first criterion as broken down into the two statements.

10. Which one of the following is not a classified category of political p

Which one of the following is not a classified category of political parties as outlined by the Election Commission of India?

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National Parties
State Recognised Parties
Regional Parties
Registered Unrecognised Parties
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-2 – 2020
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The Election Commission of India (ECI) officially classifies political parties into National Parties, State Parties (often referred to as State Recognised Parties), and Registered Unrecognised Parties.
– ‘Regional Parties’ is a common term used in political discourse to refer to parties that have influence primarily in a specific region or state, but it is not one of the three official classification categories used by the ECI for the purpose of allotting symbols, recognition, etc.
– State Parties are the ones officially recognised at the state level, which aligns with the popular understanding of ‘regional’ presence.
– The classification by ECI is based on criteria related to vote share and seats secured in general elections (Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assembly).
– Recognition as a National or State party provides certain privileges like exclusive election symbols, free broadcast time on state-owned media, etc.

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