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India’s multi-party democracy is one of the world’s most robust and most vibrant, having weathered adversity for almost seven decades. Indian Polity parties are the main driving force behind democratic Indian politics and government authority in this country. As in any modern democracy, they follow the constitutional rules. As a result, it’s critical to comprehend India’s polity parties’ structural and systematic dynamics, as these are the foundations of their functioning. The character of the country’s political parties’ internal democracy must be analysed in this context. The Indian Constitution establishes the framework for the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and responsibilities of government institutions, fundamental rights, directive principles, and citizen responsibilities. Every year on November 26th, India commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India, which is also known as “National Law Day.”
The Indian Constitution Day-to-Day Indian Polity
Surprisingly, the Indian Constitution makes no mention of political party behaviour. The legislature’s approved statutory law does not refer to political parties. Only Section 29 (a) of the 1951 Representation of the People Act allows political parties to be registered. The Election Commission of India and the Election Commission of India (ECI) do not have the authority to regulate the activities of political parties.
Health and Vigor of Indian Democracy
In the Indian Constitution, the health and vigour of Indian democracy are inextricably related to the democratic functioning of political parties, which play an essential role in the country. There are two primary explanations for the lack of democratic functioning inside the parties.
Method of Electing leaders
There is a shortage of democratic consciousness among those who will be elected to represent the party’s workers and its elected officials. According to the 1975 anti-defection statute, elected MPs must follow the party’s whip, set by the party’s highest leadership. The primary goal of enacting this law was to keep the government from collapsing due to the shameless buying and selling of MPs. As the current political scenario demonstrates, the law has not yet been incredibly successful in attaining its initial aim.
The method for electing party leaders and selecting members is not entirely transparent or inclusive. This has harmed all citizens of the country’s constitutional right to participate in politics and run for office. Second, party legislators cannot vote in national and state legislatures because of the over-reliance on central leadership in the operation of political parties and the severe anti-secession statute of 1975. When the elected representative casts his vote in the legislature, the anti-defection law requires that the party leadership’s command (whip) be strictly followed. If the legislature fails to follow this regulation, they will be dismissed.
Instead, the measure has exacerbated the parties’ internal democratic climate. This is because this statute places the weight of compliance with the “whip” on party legislators, forcing them to follow the party’s highest leadership orders in the legislature. To put it another way, a legislator’s prudence and impartiality are becoming increasingly reliant on the whims of the party’s senior leadership.
India became independent under a democratic system. For its citizens, democracy has received significant democratic-justice and equality support. The energy democratic transit has been intact from the outset, and the country has also advocated for a democratic system.
The elected officials are held responsible by the party leadership in this case. They must, however, answer to the people of their separate constituencies, who selected the candidate and allowed him to serve in the legislature.
Political Accountability
In India, a lack of openness and accountability in the internal workings of political parties has had a significant impact on the country’s parliamentary democracy’s ability to function effectively. Political parties are the primary movers and shakers in a democratic government. As a result, India will progress toward democratizing its political parties due to solid political will stemming from inescapable electoral demands for preserving a democratic climate within parties.
Conclusion
The Supreme Court ruled in the case of the Indian National Congress v. Institute of Social Welfare and Others in 2002 that the Election Commission could not pursue disciplinary action against registered political parties for breaking its internal democracy policies. In the Indian Constitution, while agreeing that the Election Commission has the authority to withdraw a party’s registration, the Supreme Court clarified that political party registration differs from other types of registration. The verdict has made it extremely difficult for political parties to maintain control over their conduct and processes, reducing the likelihood of Democratic Party operations.
