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Concerns with Intraparty democracy

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December 18, 2017

What is the issue?

  • In India most of the political parties are unwilling to institutionalise procedures for the selection of office-bearers.
  • This raises the concerns of lack of internal democracy within the parties.

What are the concerns?

  • Electing the chiefs - Many political parties in India has charges of dynastic politics and the lack of internal democracy in the party.
  • Although election of the party president cannot be the sole criteria for judging intraparty democracy, political parties view the matter only through the procedure of electing the chiefs.
  • Nominating the presidents - Most of the presidents of the political parties in India have come through the selection or nomination route.
  • The nominations are mostly influenced by some external forces which have larger say in finance and caste (or) religion.
  • This is in contrast to the rise of its party workers to top echelons to project itself as a party with a difference.
  • Centralised power -Most parties are subservient to one supreme leader who can impose his/her offspring on the party.
  • And even electoral defeat does not loosen their control or hold over the party.
  • Such leaders are valued for their capacity to attract crowds and raise funds as elections become more and more expensive.
  • Lack of institutionalisation -Most of the political parties still refuse to lay down settled and predictable procedures for almost everything they do, from the selection of candidates to the framing of a manifesto.

What are its impacts on true democracy?

  • Selection of candidates, Chief Ministers and office-bearers of party units are usually left to the discretion of few leaders who take decisions behind closed doors.
  • This has proved detrimental to the political system.
  • This is because it impedes the growth of broad-based non-sectarian parties which can effectively articulate and aggregate a variety of interests.
  • Also party funds being raised and controlled centrally, weakens the State units and rank and file vis-à-vis the central leadership.
  • This control has an impact on a range of issues including leadership selection and nominations for elections.

 

Source: The Hindu

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