Political Parties Class 10: Simple Explanation of Meaning, Roles & Functions

Political parties are one of the most familiar elements of democracy. The moment someone mentions “political parties,” names like the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Shiv Sena and others immediately come to mind. Even people who do not understand concepts like democracy, constitution or federalism usually know at least a few political parties and the leaders associated with them. That is why political parties are considered the most visible institution of a democracy.

However, this visibility does not always mean popularity in a positive sense. Most citizens tend to recognise political parties mainly when they criticise them. If roads are poor, if schools are lacking, or if public facilities are not available, people blame the ruling party. In this way, political parties often become known more for what goes wrong than what goes right.

This leads to a natural question: If people complain so much about political parties, why do we even need them? Before answering this, it is important to first understand what a political party is, what it does, and why it exists.

What is a Political Party?

A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. Their main aim is to win elections by gaining public support.

For example, imagine all students in a class forming a “Foundation Party.” They would contest elections not for fun, but to get more votes than their competitors and form the government. Similarly, real political parties participate in elections so that they can come to power.

Parties also create policies and programmes for the collective good of society. They try to persuade people that their policies are better than those of other parties. If people agree, they vote for them. Only after winning elections can a party implement its plans.

What is Partisanship?

Partisanship refers to a situation where a person is strongly aligned with a particular party and cannot take a balanced view. They see their party as always right, never wrong, and fail to acknowledge anything good done by other parties.

For example, a person who strongly supports a specific party might refuse to accept any criticism of it, even if mistakes are obvious. Similarly, they may dismiss any positive work done by other parties. This rigid loyalty prevents balanced judgment.

Parties often create political divisions in society because supporters group themselves according to party loyalties — Congress supporters, BJP supporters, AAP supporters, and so on.

Components of a Political Party

Every political party has three key components:

1. Leaders – Top leaders who take major decisions (e.g., at the national level).

2. Active Members – People who are regularly involved in party activities and meetings.

3. Followers – Supporters who believe in the party’s ideology and vote for it.

This structure looks like a pyramid: few top leaders, more active members, and the largest number of followers.

Functions of Political Parties

Political parties perform several essential functions in a democracy:

1. They Contest Elections

No party can directly gain power. They must stand for elections, win votes, and secure public support. In most democracies, including India, elections are primarily fought between candidates nominated by political parties. The party’s top leadership chooses who will contest the election from each constituency.

Why We Need Political Parties

Although people often criticise parties, democracies cannot function without them. Political parties give structure to elections, organise public opinion, and provide a way for different groups in society to express their preferences. Without parties, every candidate would act independently, and forming a government would become extremely difficult.