ELECTION’14 --POLITICAL PARTIES & SYMBOLS

As the General Election 2014 approaching here, all the political parties started to create buzz among voters. One of the major parties has already declared their candidature for higher authority. Many have started their campaign in public spaces with their hot debates & fiery speeches. It’s heating up!

Do you know how many political parties participated in this contest ? You will be amazed to know that there are seven National parties e.g.

NATIONAL PARTIES

1 . BJP Bharatiya Janata Party

2 . BSP Bahujan Samaj Party

3 . CPI Communist Party of India

4 . CPM Communist Party of India (Marxist)

5 . INC Indian National Congress

6 . NCP Nationalist Congress Party

7 . RJD Rashtriya Janata Dal.

There are thirty four state parties contesting in this election along with the above.

 STATE PARTIES

8 . AC Arunachal Congress

9 . ADMK All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

10 . AGP Asom Gana Parishad

11 . AIFB All India Forward Bloc

12 . AITC All India Trinamool Congress

13 . AUDF Assam United Democratic Front

14 . BJD Biju Janata Dal

15 . DMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

16 . INLD Indian National Lok Dal

17 . JD (S) Janata Dal (Secular)

18 . JD (U) Janata Dal (United)

19 . JKN Jammu & Kashmir National Conference

20 . JKNPP Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party

21 . JKPDP Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party

22 . JMM Jharkhand Mukti Morcha

23 . KEC Kerala Congress

24 . KEC (M) Kerala Congress (M)

25 . LJP Lok Jan Shakti Party

26 . MAG Maharashtrawadi Gomantak

27 . MDMK Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

28 . MPP Manipur Peoples Party

29 . MUL Muslim League Kerala State Committee

30 . NPF Nagaland Peoples Front

31 . PMK Pattali Makkal Katchi

32 . RSP Revolutionary Socialist Party

33 . SAD Shiromani Akali Dal

34 . SDF Sikkim Democratic Front

35 . SGF Save Goa Front

36 . SHS Shivsena

37 . SP Samajwadi Party

38 . TDP Telugu Desam

39 . TRS Telangana Rashtra Samithi

40 . UDP United Democratic Party

41 . UKKD Uttarakhand Kranti Dal

And the list of unrecognized parties goes on & on.  With funny names like Great India Party, Gondvana Gantantra Party, Jago Party etc.

  It’s not all, these parties ‘  symbols are more amusing that you have ever heard. I am giving you a list of it.

1. Bahujan Samaj Party                           Elephant

2. Bhartiya Janata Party                           Lotus

3. Communist Party of India                    Ears of Corn and Sickle

4. Communist Party of

India (Marxist)

                                                                 Hammer, Sickle and Star

5. Indian National Congress                     Hand .

6. Nationalist Congress Party                  Clock

And the State Parties symbols are more like a shop item such as Car,

Bicycle, Flowers and Grass, Maize, Lock & Key, Arrow, Bungalow, Hurricane Lamp,

 Aeroplane, Traktor etc.

The election commission has suggested the following reforms for the political parties to obey in the coming election. The highlights  are-

· The Commission has suggested that legal provisions be made to regulate the

functioning of political parties and the Commission should be empowered

regulate registration as well as de-registration of political parties.

· The political parties should be legally required to get their accounts audited

annually. The audited accounts should be put in the public domain. There should be transparency in the fund raising and expenditure of political parties.

· A Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 1994 [R.P. (Second amendment) Bill,

1994], whereby an amendment was proposed providing for provision to question before a High Court, acts of misuse of religion by political parties. The Bill lapsed on the dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 1996. The Commission has proposed that the provision in that Bill should be considered again.

· The Commission has been proposed amendment in the Representation of

People Act, 1951, to provide therein that publishing and abetting the publishing

Of bad news’ for furthering the prospect of the election of any candidate or for

prejudicially affecting the prospect of the election of any candidate be made an

electoral offense under chapter-III of Part-VII of Representation of People Act,

1951 with punishment of a minimum of two years imprisonment.

 Only one question arose in mind. Are we in a mess?