Election Project, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Economics

Download Election Project and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Economics in PDF only on Docsity! ELECTION Introduction The UK is a democracy in which MPs, councillors, MEPs and other elected representatives are chosen in free and fair elections. An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office by voting. Voting is your chance to help to choose the people who run the country, represent us in Europe and your local area. You can register to vote if you are: • 16 years old or over (you can vote once you are 18) and • a British citizen or • an Irish, Commonwealth or European Union citizen who is resident in the UK Voting is not compulsory. Some of the elections that happen regularly in this country are: • the UK Parliament • Scottish Parliament • National Assembly for Wales • Northern Ireland Assembly • European Parliament • Local elections • Mayoral elections in England • Elections to the Greater London Authority (GLA) • Police and Crime Commissioner elections Elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated since the 17th century.[1] Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the executive and judiciary, and for regional and local government. This process is also used in many other private and business organizations, from clubs to voluntary associations and corporations The universal use of elections as a tool for selecting representatives in modern representative democracies is in contrast with the practice in the democratic archetype, ancient Athens, where the Elections were considered an oligarchic institution and most political offices were filled using sortition, also known as allotment, by which officeholders were chosen by lot.[3] Electoral reform describes the process of introducing fair electoral systems where they are not in place, or improving the fairness or effectiveness of existing systems. Psephology is the study of results and other statistics relating to elections (especially with a view to predicting future results). To elect means "to choose or make a decision", and so sometimes other forms of ballot such as referendums are referred to as elections, especially in the United States. Historical View: Jeane Kirkpatrick, scholar and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has offered this definition: "Democratic elections are not merely symbolic....They are competitive, periodic, inclusive, definitive elections in which the chief decision-makers in a government are selected by citizens who enjoy broad freedom to criticize government, to publish their criticism and to present alternatives." What do Kirkpatrick's criteria mean? Democratic elections are competitive. Opposition parties and candidates must enjoy the freedom of speech, assembly, and movement necessary to voice their criticisms of the government openly and to bring alternative policies and candidates to the voters. Simply permitting the opposition access to the ballot is not enough. Elections in which the opposition is barred from the airwaves, has its rallies harassed or its newspapers censored, are not democratic. The party in power may enjoy the advantages of incumbency, but the rules and conduct of the election contest must be fair. Democratic elections are periodic. Democracies do not elect dictators or presidents-for-life. Elected officials are accountable to the people, and they must return to the voters at prescribed intervals to seek their mandate to continue in office. This means that officials in a democracy must accept the risk of being voted out of office. The one exception is judges who, to insulate them against popular pressure and help ensure their impartiality, may be appointed for life and removed only for serious improprieties. Democratic elections are inclusive. The definition of citizen and voter must be large enough to include a large proportion of the adult population. A government chosen by a small, exclusive group is not a democracy--no matter how democratic its internal workings may appear. One of the great dramas of democracy throughout history has been the struggle of excluded groups--whether racial, ethnic, or religious minorities, or women--to win full citizenship, and with it the right to vote and hold office. In the United States, for example, only white male property holders enjoyed the right to elect and be elected when the Constitution was signed in 1787. The property qualification disappeared by the early 19th century, and women won the right to vote in 1920. Black Americans, however, did not enjoy full voting rights in the southern United States until the civil rights movement of the 1960s. And finally, in 1971, younger citizens were given the right to vote when the United States lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Democratic elections are definitive. They determine the leadership of the government. Subject to the laws and constitution of the country, popularly elected representatives hold the reins of power. They are not simply figureheads or symbolic leaders. Finally, democratic elections are not limited to selecting candidates. Voters can also be asked to decide policy issues directly through referendums and initiatives that are placed on the ballot. In the United States, for example, state legislatures can decide to "refer," or place, an issue directly before the voters. In the case of an initiative, citizens themselves can gather a prescribed number of signatures (usually a percentage of the number of registered voters in that state) and require that an issue be placed on the next ballot--even over the objections of the state legislature or governor. In a state such as California, voters confront dozens of legislative initiatives each time they vote--on issues ranging from environmental pollution to automobile insurance costs. Types of democracy 1.Direct democracies A direct democracy or pure democracy is a type of democracy where the people govern directly. It requires wide participation of citizens in politics.[2] Athenian democracy or classical democracy refers to a direct democracy developed in ancient times in the Greek city-state of Athens. A popular democracy is a type of direct democracy based on referendums and other devices of empowerment and concretization of popular will. An industrial democracy is an arrangement which involves workers making decisions, sharing responsibility and authority in the workplace (see also workplace) 2.Indirect democracy Indirect democracy, or representative democracy, is when citizens elect representatives to make laws on their behalf.[1] This is what most modern countries have today. In many representative democracies (Canada, the USA, India, etc.) representatives are chosen in elections. Elections may be won by plurality or majority or some other way. In theory other methods, such as allotment (selection by a lottery) could be used instead. Also, representatives sometimes hold the power to select other representatives, presidents, or other officers of government (indirect representation). Direct democracy is where citizens themselves vote for or against specific proposals or laws. Some city states in Ancient Greece had this system. With the large populations in modern countries it is possible only occasionally to do this. It happens in a plebiscite or referendum. In a democracy the ultimate power to decide significant electoral system reforms lies with the people. The key question that democrats will tend to ask of any proposed change in electoral law or the voting mechanism is: “Will it actually increase the capacity of the electorate to get rid of unsatisfactory rulers and replace them with others?” Democrats regard that basic capacity as the best protection against bad government and the abuse of power. Systems of government which do not permit electors to change the government are not democratic, and usually are dictatorships or one-party states. Difficulties with elections In many countries with weak rule of law, the most common reason why elections do not meet international standards of being "free and fair" is interference from the incumbent government. Dictators may use the powers of the executive (police, martial law, censorship, physical implementation of the election mechanism, etc.) to remain in power despite popular opinion in favor of However, 42nd Amendment Act (1976) provided that until the figures for the first census after the year 2000 have been published, it shall not be necessary to readjust the allocation of seats to the States in the Lok Sabha. 2. Filling of Nominations: The nomination of candidates is an important part of the election process. The regulations require that the candidate or the person who proposes his name file the nomination papers with the Returning Officer. In order to be chosen a member of the Rajya Sabha or the State Legislative Council, a person must be not less than 30 years of age. For election to the Lok Sabha or the State Legislative Assembly, a person should have attained an age of 25 years. A person is disqualified for being chosen as a member of any House, ▪ if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or of any State (The offices of Ministers or Deputy Ministers are not regarded as offices of profit for this purpose) ▪ if he is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court ▪ if he is an un-discharged insolvent ▪ if he has ceased to be a citizen of India ▪ if he is so disqualified under any law made by Parliament. The Representation of the People act, as amended from time to time disqualifies a person from the membership of a Legislature: ▪ if he has been found guilty of certain election offenses or corrupt practices in election ▪ if he has been convicted and sentenced to transportation or to imprisonment for not less than two years ▪ if he has been dismissed from government service for corruption or disloyalty to the State. In 1988 many other offenses, such as cruelty towards women, were included among those which would cause disqualification for standing for election. But none of these disqualifications operates for a period of more than six years from the date of such conviction. 3. Scrutiny of Nominations: The Returning Officer scrutinizes the nomination papers very carefully. When someone is dissatisfied, he is officially stopped from contesting election for six years. The candidates can withdraw their nomination papers even after they have been found in order. Every candidate standing for election to the Lok Sabha or to State Legislative Assembly has to make a security deposit of Rs. 10,000 arid Rs. 5,000 respectively. In case the candidate belongs to any of the Scheduled Castes or Tribes, the security deposit is reduced by half. The security deposit of such candidates as having obtained less than one-sixth of the total number of valid votes polled is forfeited. 4. Election Campaign: Techniques of the election campaign and the tools employed by the parties and the independent candidates are many: (i) Election Manifesto: The parties issue their Election Manifestoes. A Manifesto is a Statement of great significance. It is “a formal Statement of the Programme and objectives of a political party” It deals with issues such as restructuring of Centre-State relations, guarantees to religious or linguistic minorities, justice, and judicial reforms, fiscal reform, economic growth, social justice, problems of the handicapped, health, nutrition, education, defense and world peace. The Manifesto contains programs and promises, with a view to attracting the largest number of voters. (ii)Electioneering (Activities and Techniques to Persuade Voters): The parties and the candidates usually make use of these techniques in order to carry their message to the voters (a) public meetings and rallies are organized and processions were taken out. The party leaders, especially the crowd pullers, are assigned the task to address public meetings; (b) the street corner meetings are held; (c) the candidates, along with the influential persons of the area, do door-to- door canvassing; (d) new slogans are coined to attract the masses; (e) advertisements are released to the press (the popular daily and weekly newspapers); and (f) the Radio and the Television are pressed into service to broadcast the speeches and panel-discussions of leaders of various parties. Nowadays electronic media plays the most effective role in creating people’s awareness about programs of the political parties. The party leaders give a series of interviews to newspapers and television agencies. Wide coverage is being given to all these events at regular intervals. 5. Polling Process: The Constitution had originally provided for the appointment of Election Tribunals for deciding disputes arising in connection with elections. The Nineteenth Amendment Act (1966) abolished this provision and laid down that the election disputes would be decided by the High Courts. Who gets involved at elections? Voters Voters choose by casting their vote at elections, a candidate, a selection of candidates, or a political party. To vote in any UK elections, voters have to be on the electoral register. An electoral register is the list of everyone who is registered to vote in a local area. Voting gives individuals a say on who represents them on their local council, in the UK Parliament and in Europe and on important issues that affect them. Political parties A political party is an organisation that seeks to influence, or control government policy, usually by nominating candidates and trying to win elections and hold public office. Parties choose candidates to represent them at elections. Independent candidates An independent candidate is a person who wishes to stand for election and is not chosen by a political party. The Returning Officer Elections are run by the Returning Officer, who works for the local authority. The Returning Officer is the official who is responsible for how the election is run and declares the result. The Election Commission Commission overview Formed 25 January 1950 (Later celebrated as National Voters Day) Jurisdiction India Headquarters Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi[1] 28.623902°N 77.21140000000003°ECoordinates: 28.623902°N 77.21140000000003°E Employees Around 300[2] Commission executives Om Prakash Rawat, IAS, Chief Election Commissioner of India Sunil Arora, IAS, Election Commissioner of India Ashok Lavasa, IAS, Election Commissioner of India The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India. The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, state Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the Presidentand Vice President in the country. The Election Commission operates under the authority of Constitution per Article 324, and subsequently enacted Representation of the People Act.The Commission has the powers under the Constitution, to act in an appropriate manner when the enacted laws make insufficient provisions to deal with a given situation in the conduct of an election. Being a constitutional authority, Election Commission is amongst the few institutions which function with both autonomy and freedom, along with the country’s higher judiciary, the Union Public Service Commission and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. We are an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. We regulate political funding and spending and set standards for well-run elections. We: • register political parties • make sure people understand and follow the rules on party and election finance • publish details of where parties and candidates get money from and how they spend it • set the standards for electoral registration and running elections and report on how well this is done • make sure people understand that it is important to register to vote, and know how to vote The Electoral Commission produces guidance for candidates and parties standing for election Elections in India ● BJS - Bharatiya Jana Sangh ● BLD - Bharatiya Lok Dal ● CPI - Communist Party of India ● CPM - Communist Party of India (Marxist) ● DMK - Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ● INC - Indian National Congress ● INC(I) - Indian National Congress (Indira) ● JD - Janata Dal ● JNP(S) - Janata Party (Secular) ● JP - Janata Party ● PSP - Praja Socialist Party ● RLD - Rashtriya Lok Dal ● SOC - Socialist Party ● SP - Samajwadi Party ● SWA - Swatantra Party ● TDP - Telugu Desam Party Elections in Tamil Nadu Elections in Tamil Nadu are conducted every five years to elect the State assembly and its share of members to the Lok Sabha. There are 234 assembly constituencies and 39 Lok Sabha constituencies. The state has conducted 15 assembly elections and 16 Lok Sabha elections since independence. Assembly constituencies Tamil Nadu has 234 assembly constituencies. The Chief Minister of the state is elected by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding an assembly majority, and serves a five-year term with a provision of re-election. The Governor is the head of state, but his or her role is largely ceremonial. The Lok Sabha is the directly elected lower house of the Parliament of India. As of 2014 there have been sixteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India. Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha constituencies. Pre-Independence elections Madras Presidency Legislative Council election Year Election Winning Party/Coalitio n Leader Elected Chief Minister (Party) Opposition Oppositio n Leader 1920 First Presidenc y Council Justice Party (India) P. Theagaroya Chetty A. Subbarayalu Reddiar (Justice Party) Independent s n/a 1923 Second Presidenc y Council Justice Party (India) P. Theagaroya Chetty A. Subbarayalu Reddiar (Justice Party) Anti-ministe rial 1926 Third Presidenc y Council Swaraj Party S. Srinivasa Iyengar P. Subbarayan (Nonpartisa n) Justice Party (India) Raja of Bobbili 1930 Fourth Presidenc y Council Justice Party (India) P. Munuswamy Naidu P. Munuswamy Naidu (Justice Party) Independent Nationalist Party P. Subbaraya n 1934 Fifth Presidenc y Council Swaraj Party Sathyamurth y Raja of Bobbili (Justice Party) Justice Party (India) Raja of Bobbili Madras Presidency Legislative Assembly election Year Election Winning Party/Coalition Chief Minister Opposition Opposition Leader 1937 First Assembly Indian National Congress* C. Rajagopalachari Justice Party (India) Raja of Bobbili 1946 Second Assembly Indian National Congress 1) T. Prakasam 2) Omandur Ramaswamy Reddiar 3) P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja All-India Muslim League Muhammad Ismail Post-Independence election Madras State Legislative Assembly election The Madras state was created in 1950 when India became a republic. In 1968, the name of Madras state was changed to Tamil Nadu. Year Election Winning Party/Coalition Chief Minister 1952 First Assembly Indian National Congress* 1) C. Rajagopalachari 2) K. Kamaraj 1957 Second Assembly Indian National Congress K. Kamaraj(2) 1962 Third Assembly Indian National Congress 1)K. Kamaraj(3) 2) M. Bakthavatsalam 2009–10 DMK-INC 9-0 TYPES OF ELECTIONS Type of elections are held in India Major types of elections held in India are - 1.Executive President and Vice-President (indirectly elected ) 2. Union Legislature (Parliament of India) Lok Sabha (Lower house) (directly elected) Rajya Sabha (Upper house) (indirectly elected) 3. State Legislature State Assemblies (directly elected) Legislative Council (indirectly elected) 4. Elections to Local Bodies Municipal Corporation Gram Panchayat block panchayat Types of Elections in India Executive Elections — Legislature Union President Vice President Lok Sabha ili Rajya Sabha State Assemblies Legislative Council ut Municipal Corporation Gram Panchayat Bloc Panchayat f President and Vice-President (indirectly elected ) The President is indirectly elected by means of an electoral college consisting of the elected members of the Parliament of India and the Legislative assemblies of the States and the Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry. The number and value of votes are based on the population in 1971 rather than the current population. The Vice President is elected by a different electoral college, consisting of members {elected as well as nominated} of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The President is elected, from a group of nominees, by the elected members of the Parliament of India (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) as well as of the state legislatures (Vidhan Sabhas), and serves for a term of five years. A formula is used to allocate votes so there is a balance between the population of each state and the number of votes assembly members from a state can cast, and to give an equal balance between State Assembly members and National Parliament members. 1.State Assemblies (directly elected)- The Legislative Assembly elections in India are the elections in which the Indian electorate choose the members of the Vidhan Sabha (or Legislative/State Assembly). They are held every 5 years and the members of the legislative assembly are called MLA. The assembly elections are never carried out in the same year for all states and union territories. The legislative assembly elections are held in all the 29 States and 2 of the 7 Union Territories of India. 2. Legislative Council (indirectly elected)- The Vidhan Parishad or Legislative Council is the upper house in those states of India that have a bicameral legislature. As of 2017, seven (7) (out of twenty-nine) states have a Legislative Council. They are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh. The size of the Vidhan Parishad cannot be more than one-third the membership of the Vidhan Sabha. However, its size cannot be less than 40 members (except in Jammu and Kashmir, where there are 36 by an Act of Parliament.) MLCs are chosen in the following manner- One-third are elected by members of local bodies such as Municipalities, Gram Sabhas/Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads. One-third are elected by members of Legislative Assemblies of the State from among the persons who are not members of the Assembly. One-sixth are nominated by the Governor from persons having knowledge or practical experience in fields such as literature, science, arts, the co-operative movement and social service. One-twelfth are elected by persons who are graduates of three years' standing residing in that state. One-twelfth are elected by persons engaged for at least three years in teaching in educational institutions within the state not lower than secondary schools, including colleges and universities. Elections Of Local Bodies- Elections to Municipal Corporations- Municipal Corporation is a state government department established in a city that has a population of more than one million. Its elections are held once in five year and the people directly choose the office bearers. Elections to the Municipal Corporations are conducted under the supervision of state election commissions. However, the provisions for elections vary throughout the nation as the corporations come under the jurisdiction of the state government. In some states, it’s the state government that arranges the elections, while in other states the authority lies with the Executive Officers. Every political party recognised by the Election Commission of India is eligible to contest election of the Corporation. Municipality Elections- Municipality or Nagar Palika is an urban local body that is in charge of administering smaller district cities and bigger towns with a population of 100,000 or more. The members of the Municipality are elected for a term of five years. During the Municipality elections, the town is split into wards according to its population and people directly elect their representatives from each ward. Post elections, the elected members select a president among themselves to preside over the meetings of the municipality. Elections to Nagar Panchayat- Also known as Notified Area Council, such local government bodies exist in urban centres with more than 11,000 and less than 25,000 inhabitants. The members of the Nagar Panchayat are elected for a term of five years. The electorates from several wards of the Nagar Panchayat exercise their franchise. Besides women, seats are reserved for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes. Zila Parishad Elections- The District Council or Zila Parishad is an elected body whose members are elected on the basis of adult franchise for a term of five years. It needs to have a minimum of 50 members with a maximum limit being 75. Besides the elected councillors from electoral divisions in the district, the members of the state legislature and the members of the Parliament are also the members of the Zila Parishad. Seats are also reserved for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes and women. Village Panchayat Elections- It’s mandatory for a village having a population of 500 to have a Gram Panchayat. Its members are elected by the villagers for a period of five years. The number of members of a Gram Panchayat depends on the size of population. It generally varies from 7 to 17. The elections of the Gram Panchayat are conducted by state election commissioner in alliance with the District Collector and Tehsildar. It is the Tehsildar who announces the date of election. One-third of seats in Gram Panchayat are reserved for female candidates. The day when the elected members of the panchayat meet for the first time is considered as a date of starting of the functioning of that Gram Panchayat. Panchayat Samiti Elections- This local government body at the tehsil (taluka) level is an important link between the Gram Panchayat and the Zila Parishad. The samiti is composed of elected members of the area including the heads of the Gram Panchayats within the block area, the elected members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the state legislature who belong to the block. Along with them, the Block Development Officer, representatives of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and women and the representatives of the farmer community also become members of Panchayat Samiti. The samiti is elected for five years. Types of elections are held in the United States There are two basic types of elections — primary and general. In addition to the primaries and general elections held in even-numbered years, which include political races for the U.S. Congress, some states and local jurisdictions also hold ―off-yearǁ elections (both primary and general) in oddnumbered years for their elected officials. American citizens ages 18 and older can register to vote. To register, voters must meet the residency requirements of their states, which vary, and comply with voter-registration deadlines. What are the requirements for running for elected office in the United States? Each federal elected office has different requirements, which are laid out in Articles I and II of the U.S. Constitution. A candidate for president of the United States must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years old and have been a resident of the United States for at least 14 years. A vice president must meet the same qualifications. Under the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, the vice president cannot be from the same state as the president. U.S. House of Representatives candidates must be at least 25 years old, have been U.S. citizens for seven years and be legal residents of the state in which they seek election. U.S. Senate candidates must be at least 30 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for nine years, and be legal residents of the state in which they seek election. Officials seeking state or local office must meet the requirements established by those jurisdictions When are general elections held? They are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. The 2012 general election will be held on November 6. Why are general elections held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November? For much of U.S. history, America was a predominantly agrarian society. Lawmakers considered their convenience when choosing a November date for elections — after harvest time but before winter weather made travel difficult — as the easiest month for farmers and rural workers to go to the polls. Because many rural residents lived a significant distance from the polls, Tuesday, rather than Monday, was selected to allow those who attended Sunday church services to begin travel after worship and still reach their destinations in time to cast their votes. Lawmakers wanted to prevent Election Day from falling on the first of November for two reasons. First, November 1 is All Saints Day, a day on which Roman Catholics are obligated to attend Mass. Also, merchants typically balanced the accounts from the preceding month on the first of each month. When are primary elections held? State and local governments determine the dates on which primary elections or caucuses are held. These dates, and the amount of time between a primary and general election, significantly influence how early candidates begin campaigning and the choices they make about how and when campaign funds are spent. In the run-up to presidential elections, victories in primaries held very early in the election year, such as that in New Hampshire, can influence the outcome of later state primaries. ELECTORAL COLLEGE What is the Electoral College? The Electoral College is the group of citizens designated by the states to cast votes for the president and vice president on behalf of state citizens. The process for selecting electors varies from state to state, but usually the political parties nominate electors at state party conventions or by a vote of the party’s central committee. The voters in each state, by casting votes for president and vice president, choose the electors on the day of the general election. The Electoral College, not the popular vote, elects the president, but the two votes are tied closely. How does the Electoral College elect the president? The Electoral College system gives each state the same number of electoral votes as it has members of Congress. The District of Columbia is allocated three electoral votes. There are a total of 538 votes in the Electoral College; a candidate for president must get 270 to win (a simple majority). All but two states have a winner-take-all system, in which the candidate who gets the most popular votes in the state is allocated all of the state’s electoral votes. The electors usually gather in their state capitals in December to cast their votes. The electoral votes then are sent to Washington, where they are counted in the presence of a joint session of Congress in January. If no presidential candidate wins a majority of electoral votes, the 12th Amendment to the Constitution provides for the presidential election to be decided by the House of Representatives. In such situations, the House selects the president by majority vote, choosing from the three candidates who received the greatest number of electoral votes. Each state would cast one vote. If no vice presidential candidate wins a majority of electoral votes, the Senate selects the vice president by majority vote, with each senator choosing from the two candidates who received the greatest number of electoral votes. For which races is the Electoral College used? The Electoral College is used only to select the president and vice president. Politics in India take place within the framework of its constitution, because India is a federal parliamentary democratic republic, in which the President of India is the head of country and the Prime Minister of India is the head of the government. India follows the dual polity system, i.e. a double government which consists of the central authority at the center and states at the periphery. The constitution defines the organization powers and limitations of both central and state governments, and it is well-recognized, rigid and considered supreme; i.e. laws of the nation must conform to it. There is a provision for a bicameral legislature consisting of an Upper House, i.e. Rajya Sabha, which represents the states of the Indian federation and a lower house i.e. Lok Sabha, which represents the people of India as a whole. The Indian constitution provides for an independent judiciary, which is headed by the Supreme Court. The court's mandate is to protect the constitution, to settle disputes between the central government and the states, to settle inter-state disputes, to nullify any central or state laws that go against the constitution, and to protect the fundamental rights of citizens, issuing writs for their enforcement in cases of violation. List of political parties in India India has a multi-party system with recognition accorded to national and state and District level parties. The status is reviewed periodically by the Election Commission of India. Other political parties that wish to contest local, state or national elections are required to be registered by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Registered parties are upgraded as recognized national or state level parties based upon objective criteria. A recognized party enjoys privileges like reserved party symbol,[A] free broadcast time on state run television and radio, consultation in setting of election dates and giving inputs in setting electoral rules and regulations. [1] This listing is according to the Indian general election, 2014 and Legislative Assembly elections and any party aspiring to State or National party status must fulfil at least one of the concerned criteria. In addition, national and state parties have to fulfill these conditions for all subsequent Lok Sabha or State elections, or else they lose their status. As per latest publication from Election Commission(13th Dec 2016 and 5 May 2017), the total number of parties registered was 1841, with 7 national, 49 state and 1785 unrecognised parties. All registered parties contesting elections need to choose a symbol from a list of available symbols offered by the EC. All 29 states of the country along with the union territories of Puducherry and the National Capital Territory of Delhi have elected governments unless President's rule is imposed under certain conditions National A registered party is recognised as a National Party only if it fulfils any one of the following three conditions: The party wins 2% of seats in the Lok Sabha (as of 2014, 11 seats) from at least 3 different States. At a General Election to Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly, the party polls 6% of votes in four States and in addition it wins 4 Lok Sabha seats. A party gets recognition as a State Party in four or more states. 7 Recognised national parties as of 2 September 2016 No. Name Abbreviatio n Foundation year Current leader(s) Party symbol Headquarters 1 All India Trinamool Congress AITC 1998 Mamata Banerjee Flowers & grass 36G Tapsia Road, Kolkata-70 0039, (West Bengal) 2 Bahujan Samaj Party BSP 1984 Mayawati Elephant 12, Gurudwara Rakabganj Road, New Delhi-11000, (Delhi) 3 Bharatiya Janata Party BJP 1980 Amit Shah Lotus 11 Ashoka Road, New Delhi-11000, (Delhi) 4 Communist Party of India CPI 1925 Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy Ears of corn and sickle Indrajit Gupta Marg, New Delhi-110002, (Delhi) 5 Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI (M) 1964 Sitaram Yechury Hammer sickle and star Bhai Vir Singh Marg, []New Delhi]]-110 001, (Delhi) 6 Indian National Congress INC 1885 Rahul Gandhi Hand 10, Bishmabhar Marg, New Delhi-110001, (Delhi) 7 Nationalist Congress Party NCP 1999 Sharad Pawar Clock 10, Bishmabhar Marg, New Delhi-110001, (Delhi) State 17 Jammu & Kashmir National Conference JKNC 1932 Omar Abdullah Jammu & Kashmir Plough 18 Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party JKNPP 1982 Bhim Singh Jammu & Kashmir Bicycle 19 Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party JKPDP 1998 Mehbooba Mufti Jammu & Kashmir Inkpot and pen 20 Janata Dal (Secular) JD(S) 1999 H.D. Deve Gowda Karnataka, Keral a Lady farmer carrying paddy on her head 21 Janata Dal (United) JD(U) 1999 Nitish Kumar Bihar Arrow 22 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha JMM 1972 Shibu Soren Jharkhand Bow and arrow 23 Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) JVM(P) 2006 Babu Lal Marandi Jharkhand Comb 24 Karnataka Janata Paksha KJP 2012 Padmanabha Prasanna Kumar Karnataka symbol not decided yet 25 Kerala Congress (M) KC(M) 1979 C.F. Thomas Kerala Two leaves 26 Lok Janshakti Party LJP 2000 Ram Vilas Paswan Bihar Bunglow 27 Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNS 2006 Raj Thackeray Maharashtra Railway engine 28 Maharashtraw adi Gomantak Party MGP 1963 Deepak Dhavalikar Goa Lion 29 Mizo National Front MNF 1959 Pu Zoramthanga Mizoram Star 30 Mizoram People's Conference MPC 1972 Pu Lalhmingthan ga Mizoram Electric Bulb 31 Naga People's Front NPF 2002 Neiphiu Rio Manipur, Nagala nd Rooster 32 National People's Party NPP 2013 Agatha Sangma Meghalaya, Man ipur Book 33 Pattali Makkal Katchi PMK 1989 G. K. Mani Puducherry Mango 34 Peoples Democratic Alliance PDA Bd. Behring Anal Manipur Crown 35 People's Party of Arunachal PPA 1987 Tomo Riba Arunachal Pradesh Maize 36 Rashtriya Janata Dal RJD 1997 Lalu Prasad Yadav Bihar, Jharkhand Hurricane Lamp 37 Rashtriya Lok Dal RLD 1996 Ajit Singh Uttar Pradesh Hand pump 38 Rashtriya Lok Samta Party RLSP 2013 Upendra Kushwaha Bihar Ceiling fan 39 Revolutionary Socialist Party RSP 1940 T. J. Chandrachoo dan Kerala, West Bengal Spade and stoker 40 Samajwadi Party SP 1992 Akhilesh Yadav Uttar Pradesh Bicycle 41 Shiromani Akali Dal SAD 1920 Sukhbir Singh Badal Punjab Scale 42 Shiv Sena SS 1966 Uddhav Thackeray Maharashtra Bow and arrow 43 Sikkim Democratic Front SDF 1993 Pawan Kumar Chamling Sikkim Umbrella 44 Sikkim Krantikari Morcha SKM 2013 Prem Singh Tamang Sikkim Table lamp 45 Telangana Rashtra Samithi TRS 2001 Kalvakuntla Chandrasheka r Rao Telangana, Andh ra Pradesh Car 46 Telugu Desam Party TDP 1982 N. Chandra Babu Naidu Andhra Pradesh, Telanga na Bicycle 47 United Democratic Party UDP 1972 Donkupar Roy Meghalaya Drum 48 YSR Congress Party YSRCP 2011 Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy Andhra Pradesh, Telanga na Ceiling fan 49 Karnataka Pragnyavanta Janatha Party[10] KPJP 2017 Upendra Rao Karnataka Auto Rickshaw[ 11] 50 Marxist Forward Bloc MFB 1953 Pratim Chatterjee West Bengal Unrecognised Unrecognised registered notable parties as of 16 September 2014 N o Name Abbreviat ion Foundati on Year Current leader(s) States/UT 1 Bhartiya Gramin Samaj Party BGSP 2015 Ravi Sharma Madhya Pradesh 2 Amra Bangali AMB 1983 Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar West Bengal 3 Bharatiya Minorities Suraksha Mahasangh BMSM 1994 Haji Mastan Mirza Maharashtra 4 Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh BRP-BMS 1999 Prakash Ambedkar Maharashtra 5 Hindustani Awam Morcha[13] HAM 2015 Jitan Ram Manjhi Bihar Party of India 31 Tamil Nadu Kongu Ilaingar Peravai KIP 2001 U. Thaniyarasu Tamil Nadu 32 Tamil Maanila Congress TMC 1996 G. K. Vasan Tamil Nadu 33 Uttarakhand Kranti Dal UKD 1979 Kashi Singh Airy Uttarakhand 34 Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi VCK 1972 Thol. Thirumavalava n Tamil Nadu 35 Welfare Party of India WPI 2011 Dr. SQR Ilyas Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Mah arashtra 36 Indhiya Makkal Kalvi Munnetra Kazhagam IMKMK 2007 T. Devanathan Yadav Tamil Nadu 37 Swaraj India Party SIP 2016 Yogendra Yadav Delhi 38 All Indian Public Freedom Party AIPFP 2016 V. Siva Kumar Tamil Nadu 39 Rashtriya Jankranti Party RAJPA 2013 LPS R. UPADHYAY Uttar Pradesh 40 Jan Adhikar Party JAP 2016 Babu Singh Kushwaha Uttar Pradesh 41 Hindu Sena 2011 Vishnu Gupta New Delhi 42 Gorkha National Liberation Front GNLF 1980 Subhash Ghisingh West Bengal 43 Gorkha Janmukti Morcha GJM 2007 Roshan Giri West Bengal 44 Revolutiona ry Communist Party of India RCPI 1934 Saumyendrana th Tagore Assam 45 Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League ABGL 1943 Bharati Tamang West Bengal 46 Praja Socialist Party PSP 1952 Kerala Political issues Social issues The lack of homogeneity in the Indian population causes division between different sections of the people based on religion, region, language, caste and race. This has led to the rise of political parties with agendas catering to one or a mix of these groups. Parties in India also target people who are not in favour of other parties and use them as an asset. Some parties openly profess their focus on a particular group; for example, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's focus on the Dravidian population and Tamil identity; Biju Janata Dal's championing of Odia culture; the Shiv Sena's pro-Marathi agenda; Naga People's Front's demand for protection of Naga tribal identity; People's Democratic Party and National Conference's calling for Kashmiri Muslim identity. Some other parties claim to be universal in nature, but tend to draw support from particular sections of the population. For example, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (translated as National People's Party) has a vote bank among the Yadav and Muslim population of Bihar and the All India Trinamool Congress does not have any significant support outside West Bengal. The narrow focus and votebank politics of most parties, even in the central government and central legislature, sidelines national issues such as economic welfare and national security. Moreover, internal security is also threatened as incidences of political parties instigating and leading violence between two opposing groups of people is a frequent occurrence. Economic issues Anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat In February-March 2002, large-scale violence against Muslims took place in Gujarat. The immediate provocation for thi violence was an incident that took place at a station called Godhra. A bogey of a train that was returning from Ayodhya and was full of Karsevaks was set on fire. Fifty- seven people died in that fire. Suspecting the hand of the Muslims in setting fire to the bogey, large-scale violence against Muslims began in many parts of Gujarat trom the next day. This violence continued for almost a whole month. Nearly 1100 persons. mostly Muslims, were killed in this violence. The National Human Rights Commission criticised the Gujarat government’s role in failing to control violence, provide relief to the victims and prosecute the perpetrators of this violence. The Election Commission of India ordered the assembly elections to be postponed. As in the case of anti-Sikh riots of 1984, GUJARAT IS BURNING February 28 people were Killed and 'as Gujarat reported incl sof the Army oe stand-y in thariot hit ‘ier 25 toons statewide have baon put of tha vtetoandl vt fire to Bitanien ore propertie. “Ger 8 of those killed were tn Ahmed, Muslim lumdwallers were alsa Dur ed ailve. eh Why PM Narendra Modi did not meet protesting Tamil Nadu farmers HIGHLIGHTS ● Tamil farmers suspended their agitation today. ● Farmers were protesting since March 14 in New Delhi. ● PM Modi did not meet agitating farmers. More than 170 farmers from Tamil Nadu stayed put at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for 41 days since March 14. Having faced severe drought for two consecutive years in Tamil Nadu, they came to the national capital to seek relief from the Narendra Modi government. The farmers managed to stay in headlines with their novel ways of protest as they relentlessly tried to have an audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The farmers protested with skulls, symbolically telling the government that their plight was like that of the remains of humans. The farmers held protest cross-dressing as women, staged street plays depicting neglect by the governments, had lunch directly off the road, ran naked near Prime Minister's Office, held mouse in their mouth, ate snake meat, and drank urine. But, PM Narendra Modi did not meet them. The agitating farmers have suspended their agitation till May 25 after getting assurance from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami. Protesting Tamil Nadu farmers at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The Modi government is understood to have discussed the matter at the highest level but a personal audience of the Prime Minister was not granted to the protesting farmers, who have withstood a scorching sun in Delhi summer. MODI WANTS STATES TO FOLLOW UP MODEL The most basic argument that is being forwarded is that agriculture is the state subject. Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not want to get directly involved in the matter as it has huge economic cost and also goes against his idea of cooperative federalism. PM Modi doesn't want to be seen as directly interfering with what is essentially a state subject. Secondly, the issue involves huge economic cost. PM Modi also doesn't want farmers to leave high and dry after any possible meeting. Most importantly, PM Modi wants the state to follow the Uttar Pradesh model of loan waiver. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the loan waiver scheme at the expense of his own state treasury. UPA LOAN WAIVER SCHEME FAILED The loan waiver scheme of the previous Manmohan Singh government is another reason why PM Modi is not willing to announce a central loan waiver scheme for the Tamil Nadu farmers. Agitating farmers dressed as women during their protest. PM Modi is not known to soothe ego or tactics of such forces. Further, some observers said that if meeting senior ministers of the government did not satisfy the farmers, there is no guarantee that the farmers would withdraw their agitation after meeting PM Modi. Moreover, the Finance Minister and the Agriculture Minister are believed to have met the farmers after getting nod from the Prime Minister. Now, Narendra Modi is unlikely to do anything to belittle his own ministers on an issue that largely falls in the realms of the state government. IMPRACTICAL DEMANDS OF FARMERS The farmers sitting at the Jantar Mantar put up unique demands and said that the agitation would not be withdrawn till those were met. The farmers demanded a relief package of nearly Rs 40,000 crore from the Centre, a farm loan waiver scheme routed through a nationalised bank, setting up of Cauvery Management Board and inter-linking of rivers. A Rs 40,000 crore relief package by Centre, if granted to Tamil Nadu farmers, will open a can of worms. The Centre will not be able to sustain similar demands that are bound to arise from across the country. The same is true for loan waiver scheme. The demand of Cauvery Management Board is not feasible at this point of time. The concerned state governments and the Centre have found it difficult, more due to political reasons, to implement the Cauvery Tribunal award. The matter is pending before the Supreme Court. The Cauvery Management Board, if set up, may turn into another ring for shadow political boxing. Inter-linking of rivers is a decades-old programme, popularised during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. It has not met with great success as there have been serious technical, technological, financial and environmental challenges. Agitation by Tamil farmers also gave ample oppoturnities for politics in New Delhi. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi with Tamil farmers at Jantar Mantar. The Prime Minister can't commit to inter-linking of rivers in a meeting with a small bunch of agitating farmers in the heart of New Delhi. However, the farmers of Tamil Nadu are facing its worst drought in 140 years. Cyclone Vardah, in December last year, further aggravated their condition. The Tamil Nadu government declared all the 32 districts of the state as drought-hit. But, the farmers of Tamil Nadu need much more than announcements. The agitating 170-odd Tamil Nadu farmers in New Delhi provide only a glimpse of the problems faced by the community. The wholesome picture is much more grim. 2.By Jayalalitha Jayalalithaa sentenced to four years in jail, fined Rs. 100 crore Sasikala, Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi also given four years' imprisonment, fined Rs. 10 crore each An epic 18-year-long legal battle ended in less than five minutes on Saturday. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa arrived at the Parappana Agrahara complex as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. By the time the curtains were drawn on the dramatic day, she had lost her post after having been found guilty of corruption. It took only five minutes for the Special Judge trying the case, John Michael Çunha, to pronounce the order convicting the four accused. The three-time Chief Minister was sentenced to four years’ simple imprisonment and a Rs. 100-crore fine was imposed on her for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Her co-accused — Sasikala Natarajan, V. Sudhakaran and J. Elavarasi — were sentenced to four years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 10 crore each. In consequence, Ms. Jayalalithaa stood disqualified as an MLA and lost her position as Chief Minister. She would now be barred from contesting elections for the period of conviction plus six years — a total of 10 years. Despite a plea for lenient punishment from Ms. Jayalalithaa, who cited her health and age, the judge took the view that such “serious” charges of corruption should be dealt with strictly. He directed the court Registry to communicate the verdict to the Tamil Nadu Governor and the Speaker of the Assembly. 3.By Karunanidhi