Role of Regional Political Parties in India

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Several regional political parties emerged in India primarily due to the presence of socio-economic, religious and cultural pluralism. At the grassroot level, the regional parties make the people politically conscious and it makes popular participation more extensive and wide. After 1996, several regional parties have emerged and these are now playing key roles in national politics. Their impact on the structure and process of politics has been "multi-directional and far-reaching". They have posed the most powerful challenge to Indian's "one-party dominant system" or "The One-party Plus' system. Some of the regional parties had/have ruled/are ruling the states. All these reflect the ever growing importance of regional parties in Indian politics. The regional political parties have also helped the emergence of a new thinking which admits a positive role that regional political parties can play in the process of nation building. The present volume, Role of Regional Political Parties in India, consists of 10 articles on different aspects of regional parties, their role, need, programme, causes of growth and rule in different states of India. The contributors to this volume have tried to be objective with the evidence at hand. It has also been their endeavour to provide up-dated facts and the latest developments in the subject.

DASARATHI BHUYAN, well known Oriya short story writer, feature writer, novelist, columnist and researcher, was born on April 20, 1965 in a small village Bisoyi Nuapalli near Hinjilicut in Ganjam district. He graduated from Science College Hinjilicut and got his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Berhampur University, Orissa. He has numerous publications to his credit. He has published five volumes of short stories in Oriya-Pragatir Chaka Tale (Beneath the wheel of progess), Maacha Akhir Luha (Eye tears of a fish), Mulyahin Swadhinata (Worthless freedom), Aloda Manish (Unwanted man) and Dukha (Sorrow). He has also published one volume of poems - Milan Muhurta (the meeting moment), one volume of columns Nirvachita Sthambha (selected columns) and one volume of Novel - Janma Janmantara (Birth and Rebirth). Besides these he has written a number of books in English: Casteism in Indian Politics, Women Empowerment, J.B. Patnaik: A Political Biography, Naveen Patnaik : The Best Chief Minister. He is a regular contributor to various newspapers and magazines. He has received a number of awards for his literary achievements. Presently he is teaching Political Science in Bellaguntha Science College, Bellaguntha, Ganjam, Orissa.

India has a multi-party system. It is estimated that over 2100 registered political parties have appeared in India since independence. Now, only six National Political parties and 30 regional political parties are active in both central and state politics. The regional parties were unable to play major role at the centre due to the dominance of congress party. But the emergence of regional parties have posed the most powerful challenge to India's "One Party Dominant System". Since 1967, the regional parties are emerging with greater political appeal. The regional parties control most of the state politics. They emerged as a powerful force and played vital role in the formulation of Government at Centre.

The presence of a number of ethnic, cultural, linguistic, religious and caste groups within the Indian society has greatly responsible for the origin and growth of regional parties. Though the regional parties operate within very limited area and pursue only limited objectives, they have played significant role both in the State as well as national politics. These parties have formed government in several states and tried to implement their policies and programmes. Some of the regional parties are also partner in the coalition Government at Centre. In the eighth Lok Sabha elections the Telugu Desam, a regional party of Andhra Pradesh emerged as the main opposition party. Now no single party is able to form a Government at the Centre. It conforms that the era of a single party rule has ended and a new phase of multi-party coalitions has set in. The regional parties have made a strong impact on the nature of Centre-state relations in India. They now, strongly uphold the cause of Indian Unity and integrity along with upholding of their respective regional interests. They have also focused the attention of the people in remote areas on various political and economic issues and contributed to political awakening.

Gone are those days when several scholars viewed regionalism as a negation of nationalism or nation building. The regional parties have provided a new dimension to the process of national integration and nation building. Regionalism has lost its aggressive form due to the positive role of regional political parties. The leaders of regional parties have started playing an active and even deterministic role in the organization of the central government. Since 1996, twenty-three regional parties have been sharing power at the national level. Their outlook now appears to be changing from a confrontationalist conflictual orientation to a co-operative bargaining orientation in respect of centre-state relations. Further, in this new era of coalition politics regional parties have emerged as active actors in the Indian political system. The new scenario in which coalition politics has come to emerge as a reality of Indian Politics since 1996 has brought home the fact that the national parties must join hands with regional parties for strengthening their role and position in the Indian Political system. Even the congress has now realized and accepted the necessity of forging alliances with the regional parties and the congress now able to form a coalition government at the centre with the help of regional parties in the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004.

This book contains highly research-oriented articles which are contributed by Senior Political Scientist like Dr. V.N. Viswanathan and D.S. Makkalonban from Chennai, Dr. (Mrs.) Roma Mitra, from Bhagalpur University and Dr. B.V. Chalapathi and Dr. B.V. Raghavulu from Andhra Pradesh and young upcoming Political Scientists like Dr. Amitav Paul from Nagaland, Dr. Harish Thakur from Himachal Pradesh, Dr. Amit Singh from Uttar Pradesh, Pijush Devnath from Assam, Saroj Kumar Jena and Dasarathi Bhuyan from Orissa and Dr. P. Subramanyam from S.V. University, Andhra Pradesh. Dr. B.V. Chalapathi, Dr. B.V. Raghavulu and Dr. P. Subramanyam have contributed an article on the policies and programmes of Telugu Desam entitled Janma Bhoomi Programme of Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh. The articles cover most of the country where regional political parties are ruling. I am extremely thankful to all the contributors for their kind co-operation, deep faith and confidence on me.

My sincere thanks are due also to Mittal Publications, New Delhi who extended me wholehearted co-operation for publishing this edited volume. I am sure that the book will full satisfy the academic needs of the readers, scholars and researchers.

**Contents and Sample Pages**