After
getting independence and after the rule of the kings was abolished,
democratic governance has started in India with multiple party system.
Political parties have emerged in the country. There are two types of
political parties- national and regional. Regional parties registered
with Election Commission are restricted to the respective States they
are registered. National parties should register in at least four
states to get recognition from the Election Commission as a national
party.
Indian
Constitution does not insist on political parties to contest for
elections. But because of some of the advantages a political party
enjoys, political parties have emerged. Only individuals file
nominations. Contestants without a political backup are called
Independent candidates. Unlike an individual person, a political party
forms with a specific purpose and policies which may be amended from
time to time but will be made clear to the public about their goals. It
will be easier to the political parties to form Government as the
support from the elected members of the party is assured. For voters
also it will be easier for them to go by the policy of the political
party instead of by the merits of an individual unless the individual is
very prominent and musters goodwill of the people.
There are
also disadvantages from the political party system. All the members of
the party should support each other so that the party’s strength is
ensured in spite of the difference in the personal opinion on some of
the issues. Joining a party makes them to follow the party blindly as
their strength lies in it. As per the anti defection law passed in
1985.
The 52nd
amendment to the Constitution added the Tenth Schedule in the Anti
defection law that laid down the process by which the legislators may be
disqualified on the grounds of defection. A Member of Parliament or
State Legislature is deemed to have defected if he either voluntarily
resigns from his party or disobeys the directives of the party
leadership on a vote. That is, they may not vote on any issue in
contravention to the party’s whip.
Independent
members would be disqualified if they join a political party.
Nominated members who are not members of a party can choose to join a
party within six months; after that period, they will be treated as a
party member or as an independent member.
That means an elected member of a party cannot voice his own opinion?
Yes a
member can do it. But he cannot hold the position of an elected
people’s representative as the member is voted by the voters in the
elections treating the contestant as a representative of that particular
party and will abide by the objects of that political party. Logically
it is right. But it becomes a threat to the party’s elected member
that he will lose the position of a legislator if he goes against the
party. It makes the legislator to abide by the rule of the party’s high
command in order to hold the position. That means an elected
representative of the people loses his freedom to express his
independent views. All the decisions will be taken by the Party chief
and the core members in the interests of the party’s sustenance and its
development but not on the welfare of the people of a constituency of an
elected representative. A problem in the constituency of a legislator
will be seen by the party from the view point of the party’s over all
development. If justice cannot be done to the people of that particular
region, the recommendations of the representative of that constituency
will not be paid any attention by the party.
Party
first is the policy of the political parties where as an independent
candidate’s view point will be the welfare of the people he represents.
The independent contestants have to bear all the expenses and risks in
the elections but a candidate representing a political party can save on
the publicity as it will be a common affair for all the
constituencies. More over the party cadre will be of assistance for
promotional activities.
Most of the political parties in India are led by a single person
Political
parties mostly work on individual charisma of the party leader and
sometimes some party leaders. Congress, BJP, TDP, YSRCP, TRS, Loksatta,
Shivasena, DMK, Anna DMK and parties of that sort are run by a single
leader or by the association of a few leaders.
Political parties increase in number due to individual pursuit of political gains
As the
political parties are run by one person or a small group some members
may feel it as an anarchy or oligarchy. A member who is confident of
his capabilities and feels deprived of the right position in the party
may like to defect the party to join other party where the recognition
is promised or may float his own party to have a total control on it.
This is
one of the main reasons for the number of political parties on the
increase year by year in addition to the regional interests to be
represented. Every time a new party is formed the people of India look
forward to the new party to deliver unlike old ones. It needs a strong
and prominent person to take the lead.
That is
the reason why some of the political parties floated by the film actors
could gather public support. They are also used by the existing
political parties to gain attention of the public and to cash in on the
support of the fans of those film artistes. NTR, MGR, Chiranjeevi
started their own parties. Balakrishna, Roja, Jr.NTR, Pawan Kalyan and
others supported the existing parties they wished to support. Actors
like Vyjayanthi Mala, Jamuna, Krishna, Krishnam Raju, Rajesh Khanna,
Jaya Sudha, Jaya Prada, Vijaya Shanti supported parties by joining them
and participating in the elections by getting party tickets.
Political
parties who do not get absolute majority may join together to form
Government. This is allowed and not considered as defection. A party
can also merge with other party if 2/3rd majority agrees for it like in
the case of Praja Rajyam Party founded by Chiranjeevi was merged with
Congress party. Sometimes political parties join together to get
absolute majority. They will have seat adjustments to avoid splitting
of votes in a particular constituency. The arrangement will also be
announced by them so that the voters will understand it and vote
accordingly. Otherwise some of the voters may think that favorite party
is missing in the election contest and it may result in voting some
other political party than the allied one.
All this
party system is convenient to hold the elections and to form Government
and also to eliminate the chances of frequent fall of Governments due to
defections as defectors will be minimum due to the party’s whip armed
with the Anti Defection Act.
The party system that way became associations of the likeminded politicians with a common goal of getting power.
To be continued………..
-SriJa
History of Padayatra:
Probably Padayatra or walkathon's started long ago, but those days they
were part of human life as an efficient mode of transport was not
available. But now a days it has become a way to enlighten public and to
assure them of ones availability. Those days due to lack of proper
transport they used to walk, but these days our leaders walk as their
air conditioned, well-equipped vehicles follow them enroute. 
Then we had the late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy
who embarked on a walkathon in 2003 covered 1475 km during hot summers
covering 33 constituencies. The event Prasthanam, reinstated Congress in
power after a long gap in 2004. and since then has been ruling the
state.
And now our TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu
embarked on Vastunna Mee Kosam and has successfully gone past YSR by
completing 1500kms covering 40 constituencies. Babu wanted to enlighten
the corrupt practices of the ruling party that had led to the downfall
of the state in amny ways.
On the other hand YSR's daughter, Sharmila
also went on a Padayatra, 'Maro Prasthanam' but had to cut short the
journey due to an injury. Sharmila wanted to highlight the ways her
brother was detained on vindictive stances by the ruling party
hand-in-glove with the opposition.
The
irony was that a 60+ old veteran with all complications like diabetes
and BP is able to walk healthy and cover 1500 kms while a young woman
who was hale and healthy had cut short her walkathon citing injury.
Anyways we have to move on to discuss what the leaders are feeling about
these yatras.
Babu's Padayatra is just for records:
YSRCP MLA, Gadikota Srikanth Reddy expressed that Babu's padayatra was
only for records. He also criticized the senior leader for embarking on a
'morning walk' type walkathon. If Babu's walk is as the leader
describes than what should Sharmila's yatra be called as?
No-crowd Padayatra:
Congress chief whip Gandra Venkataramana Reddy claimed that 
On
the whole, at the moment Babu has bettered all records and is leading
all the way. However in comparison to the salient points that were
achieved by YSR and Babu while in rule, the former had opted for
people's welfare while the later opted for infrastructure development (