Q. By and large, Indian political parties have become more pragmatic than ideological, which makes party boundaries highly flexible and permeable. Comment.
Ans:
Political parties are voluntary associations or organised groups of individuals who share the same political views and who try to gain political power through constitutional means and who desire to work for promoting the national interest.
In their classification of political parties on the basis of ideologies, the political scientists have placed the radical parties on the left and the liberal parties in the centre and reactionary and conservative parties on the right. In other words, they are described as the leftist parties, centrist parties and the rightist parties. In India, the CPI and CPM are the examples of leftist parties, the Congress of centrist parties and the BJP is an example of rightist parties. ©crackingcivilservices.com
Indian political parties have become more pragmatic than ideological, which makes party boundaries highly flexible and permeable:
- The party system as it is operating at present is based upon multiplicity of political parties. As already observed, since 1989, there has been a definite increase in the number of political parties entering the political arena. Numerous regional and small parties have filled in the vacuum created by the Congress.
- The compulsion of the electoral mathematics and the requirement of coalition governments have resulted in the politics of alliance. Alliance takes place among a number of political parties that come together for contesting elections and forming the government.
- Political parties coming into alliance draw up some common minimum programme acceptable to all partners of the alliance.
- Acceptance of common programme among the alliance partners does not necessarily mean that the alliance partners share common ideology. Ideological cohesiveness, in fact, does not characterise the nature of alliance. Ideological position of the parties that come forward to join an alliance, at times, is quite paradoxical. What causes these ideologically dissimilar parties to form an alliance is the logic of political power.
- e.g. BJP-PDP alliance in 2014 in J&K, BJP-JDU alliance, switching sides by JDU in Bihar, Siva Sena alliance with NCP and Congress in Maharashtra, BSP-SP alliance during Lok sabha election in UP etc.
- Similarly, The Communist and Muslim League fought elections in Kerala together. Both Congress and CPI could forge alliances and together in Bihar and Kerala. DMK and AIDMK switch sides between NDA and UPA.
- Theoretically any party except BJP could fit into the UPA. And any party except congress can join the NDA.
- The exclusion and inclusion is more due to party competition and electoral considerations rather than ideological positions.
- Except the BJP and the two communist parties (CPI and CPM), all other parties do not have a clear-cut ideology. But even these parties form alliances with other’s based on political situation.
- The Aam Aadmi Party’s ideology-free rise with its emphasis on political pragmatism.
- They (i.e., all other parties) are ideologically closer to each other. They have a close resemblance in their policies and programmes. Almost every party advocates democracy, secularism, socialism and Gandhism.
- More than this, every party, including the so-called ideological parties, is guided by only one consideration—power capture. Thus, politics has become issue-based rather than the ideology and pragmatism has replaced the commitment to the principles.
Thus, we find that relation of any party with any other is not fixed on ideological position. Parties are always ready to make compromises due to electoral compulsions and political requirements. The coalitional arrangements change as per the requirements of situation.
The loss of values of ideology could be due to changing perceptions of the people, leaders and the followers at the ground level. Ordinary people hardly bother about ideological quarrels. For both, people and followers, pragmatic politics have become the norm. Parties are increasingly looked upon as means to serve personal interests. Now we see fewer and fewer leaders having fixed loyalties. Some political leaders change parties as per their convenience. The parties too now follow an “open door policy” in accepting leaders from other parties. Cross-party defections has become more common. ©crackingcivilservices.com
However, we can’t say that there is total absence of ideology in Indian political parties:
- Some experts dismiss the idea that cash handouts and other incentives such as television sets and laptops influence voters in terms of their actual electoral decisions as people do consider political ideology of the parties they vote for. e.g. core voters of parties like BJP, CPI, RJD etc.
- The BJP, the largest national party is no doubt a heavily ideological party.
- Some regional political parties do always adhere to whats they think as core ideology. e.g. RJD never forms alliance with BJP as the consider that it will go against there idea of secularism.
- Ideology of nationalism, democracy, secularism, socialism and Gandhism is common to almost all the parties.
- Even parties who appeal to people on the basis of caste and religious identities regard themselves secular. e.g. SAD, Muslim League, National Conference, Kerala Congress and Shiv Sena too stand by secularism. They say that they stand for secularism and oppose pseudo-secularism.
- Consolidation of smaller political parties under umbrella of NDA and UPA during election mainly based on idea of secularism.
The contemporary party system is a reflection of the complexity and the heterogeneity that prevails with the Indian society. It is a representation of the diversity of political interests and opinions. It also reflects the wider reach of the participatory politics that has politicised diverse groups and articulated their political voice. And the flexible party boundaries also reflects accomodative nature of the parties politics. ©crackingcivilservices.com
