Evolution of Political Parties

(Chronological Order)

Sl. No.	Name of the Party (Abbreviation)	Founder	Year of Formation
1.	Indian National Congress (INC)	A.O. Hume	1885
2.	Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)	–	1920
3.	Communist Party of India (CPI)	M.N. Roy	1925
4.	Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC)	Sheikh Abdullah	1939
5.	Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)	C.N. Annadurai	1949
6.	Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM)	–	1964
7.	Shiv Sena (SHS)	Bal Thackeray	1966
8.	All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)	M.G. Ramachandran	1972
9.	Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)	A.B. Vajpayee and L.K. Advani	1980
10.	Telugu Desam Party (TDP)	N.T. Rama Rao	1982
11.	Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)	Kanshi Ram	1984
12.	Asom Gana Parishad (AGP)	P.K. Mahanta	1985
13.	Samajwadi Party (SP)	Mulayam Singh Yadav	1992
14.	Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)	Lalu Prasad Yadav	1997
15.	Biju Janata Dal (BJD)	Naveen Patnaik	1997
16.	All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)	Mamata Banerjee	1998
17.	Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP)	Mufti Mohd. Sayeed	1999
18.	Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)]	Sharad Yadav	1999
19.	Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)]	H.D. Deve Gowda	1999
20.	Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)	Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar	1999
21.	Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)	Ram Vilas Paswan	2000
22.	Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) (Now Bharat Rashtra Samithi – BRS)	K. Chandra Shekar Rao	2001
23.	Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP)	Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy	2011
24.	Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)	Arvind Kejriwal	2012
25.	National People’s Party (NPP)	P.A. Sangma	2013

🧭 Historical Context

To understand the formation of these parties, we must first see how Indian politics evolved in three broad phases:

Phase I: Pre-Independence (1885 – 1947)

• Political associations gradually transformed into organized national movements.
• Ideological undercurrents: nationalism, self-governance, socio-religious reform.
• Early parties were primarily anti-colonial movements rather than electoral bodies.

Phase II: Early Post-Independence (1947 – 1967)

• Congress dominated as the national integrator.
• Yet regional, linguistic, and ideological movements soon sought expression through new parties.
• Rise of leftist, regional, and linguistic identity parties.

Phase III: Fragmentation and Coalition Era (1967 – Present)

• Decline of one-party dominance.
• Emergence of strong regional leaders and issue-based politics.
• Formation of new parties reflecting caste, region, language, or anti-corruption platforms.

📜 Chronological Explanation of Party Formations

Let’s now go through the timeline.

1. Indian National Congress (INC) – 1885

Founder: A.O. Hume
Context: Created as a platform for educated Indians to ventilate grievances before the British.
Evolution:

• Initially moderate and loyalist.
• Gradually radicalised under Tilak, then mass-based under Gandhi.
• Post-1947: became the ruling party; synonymous with the freedom movement and nation-building.

Significance: India’s first truly national political organization.

2. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) – 1920

Context: Emerged during the Gurdwara Reform Movement in Punjab.
Aim: To free Sikh gurdwaras from corrupt mahants under British control.
Nature: Religious-cum-political party representing Sikh interests.
Later Role: Major player in Punjab politics, alternating between alliance and opposition to Congress/BJP.

3. Communist Party of India (CPI) – 1925

Founder: M.N. Roy (ideological inspiration).
Context: Spread of Marxist ideas among Indian workers and peasants post-Russian Revolution.
Ideology: Marxism–Leninism; class struggle and socialist reconstruction.
Later Split (1964): Into CPI and CPM due to ideological differences over strategy toward Congress and USSR–China conflict.

4. Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) – 1939

Founder: Sheikh Abdullah
Origin: Started as “Muslim Conference” (1932), renamed to promote secular nationalism.
Goal: Self-governance for Kashmir within a democratic framework.
Post-1947: Played dominant role in J&K politics and its special-status debates.

5. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) – 1949

Founder: C.N. Annadurai
Background: Split from Justice Party and Dravidar Kazhagam (Periyar’s movement).
Context: Reaction to perceived north Indian domination, Hindi imposition, and Brahminism.
Nature: Regional, linguistic, and social-justice based.
Legacy: Pioneered Dravidian politics — rooted in Tamil identity, secularism, and welfare populism.

6. Communist Party of India (Marxist) – 1964

Split From: CPI
Reason: Ideological division over Soviet vs. Chinese line of communism and approach to Indian democracy.
Strongholds: West Bengal, Kerala, Tripura.
Role: Advocates agrarian reforms, trade-union rights, secularism, and federalism.

7. Shiv Sena (SHS) – 1966

Founder: Bal Thackeray
Context: Reaction to rising south Indian migration and perceived job deprivation of Marathi youth.
Ideology: “Sons-of-the-Soil” (Marathi Manoos), later Hindu nationalism.
Base: Maharashtra; evolved from regionalism to Hindutva orientation.

8. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) – 1972

Founder: M.G. Ramachandran (MGR)
Split From: DMK after leadership conflict with M. Karunanidhi.
Nature: Regional party combining Dravidian ideology with populist welfare politics.
Later: Under J. Jayalalithaa, became dominant Tamil Nadu party.

9. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – 1980

Founders: A.B. Vajpayee and L.K. Advani
Origin: Successor of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1951).
Ideology: Hindutva, nationalism, good governance, cultural unity.
Significance: From two seats in 1984 to becoming the central pole of Indian politics.

10. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) – 1982

Founder: N.T. Rama Rao (film icon)
Context: Reaction against Congress’s dominance in Andhra Pradesh.
Ideology: Self-respect and regional pride of Telugu people.
Significance: Marked the rise of regional assertion in Indian politics.

11. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) – 1984

Founder: Kanshi Ram (later led by Mayawati)
Ideology: Representation of Bahujans — Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, and minorities.
Symbolism: Political empowerment of Dalits through the ballot.
Impact: Transformed caste from a social identity to a political weapon.

12. Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) – 1985

Founder: P.K. Mahanta
Context: Born out of the Assam Agitation (1979–85) against illegal migration.
Nature: Regional and ethnic — safeguarding Assamese identity and culture.
Significance: Showed how regional movements can mature into political parties.

13. Samajwadi Party (SP) – 1992

Founder: Mulayam Singh Yadav
Ideology: Socialist, Lohiaite, pro-OBC and secular.
Context: Post-Mandal era — mobilising backward classes in North India.
Role: Major player in Uttar Pradesh politics; alternative to Congress/BJP.

14. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) – 1997

Founder: Lalu Prasad Yadav
Split From: Janata Dal
Ideology: Social justice and empowerment of lower castes.
Context: Continuation of Mandal politics in Bihar.
Nature: Personality-centric leadership and caste-based mobilisation.

15. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) – 1997

Founder: Naveen Patnaik (son of Biju Patnaik)
Context: Formed after split in Janata Dal; to carry Biju Patnaik’s legacy.
Nature: Regional, pro-development, clean-governance image.
Significance: Dominant force in Odisha politics since 2000.

16. All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) – 1998

Founder: Mamata Banerjee
Split From: Indian National Congress
Aim: To oppose CPI(M)’s long Left rule in West Bengal.
Character: Regionalist but with national ambitions.
Achievement: Ended 34 years of Left rule in West Bengal in 2011.

17. Jammu & Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – 1999

Founder: Mufti Mohammad Sayeed
Ideology: Soft-separatist, peace and reconciliation-based politics within Indian Union.
Aim: Empowerment of Kashmiris through democratic means.
Role: Alternated in power with National Conference in J&K.

18. Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] – 1999

Founder: Sharad Yadav
Origin: Merger of Lok Shakti, Samata Party, and Janata Dal factions.
Ideology: Socialist, secular, pro-Mandal.
Base: Bihar; major ally of BJP for long periods.

19. Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)] – 1999

Founder: H.D. Deve Gowda
Context: Split from Janata Dal; rooted in Karnataka’s Vokkaliga community.
Nature: Regional; focuses on farmers’ and state issues.
Impact: Key player in Karnataka coalition governments.

20. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – 1999

Founders: Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma, Tariq Anwar
Reason: Expelled from Congress for opposing Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin.
Ideology: Moderate, democratic, centrist.
Role: Coalition politics (notably with Congress in Maharashtra).

21. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) – 2000

Founder: Ram Vilas Paswan
Ideology: Dalit welfare and secularism.
Base: Bihar; represented marginalised voices.
Trend: Part of frequent alliances — Congress, NDA, UPA at different times.

22. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS, now BRS) – 2001

Founder: K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR)
Goal: Separate state of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.
Achievement: Led the successful Telangana statehood movement (2014).
Renamed: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in 2022 to expand nationally.

23. Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) – 2011

Founder: Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
Split From: Congress after death of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
Nature: Regional, pro-welfare, developmental politics in Andhra Pradesh.
Current Role: Ruling party in Andhra Pradesh.

24. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) – 2012

Founder: Arvind Kejriwal
Origin: From the India Against Corruption Movement led by Anna Hazare.
Ideology: Anti-corruption, good governance, and decentralisation.
Innovation: Focus on urban governance, education, and health models.
Role: First strong urban alternative to traditional parties.

25. National People’s Party (NPP) – 2013

Founder: P.A. Sangma
Nature: Regional (North-East), tribal interests.
Significance: Only national party based in the North-Eastern region.
Base: Meghalaya and neighbouring states.

🔍 Analytical Insights: What This Chronology Reveals

Let’s extract the larger meaning behind this evolution.

Era	Dominant Trend	Nature of Parties Formed	Underlying Causes
1885–1947	Nationalist & anti-colonial	INC, Akali Dal, CPI, JKNC	Fight for independence and identity assertion
1947–1967	Consolidation & Ideological Diversification	DMK, CPM	Social reform, regional pride, ideological clarity
1967–1980s	Decline of Congress dominance	Shiv Sena, AIADMK, BJP, TDP, BSP	Regional assertion, caste mobilisation, right-wing alternative
1980s–2000s	Fragmentation & Federalisation	AGP, SP, RJD, BJD, TMC, NCP, JD variants	Mandal politics, regional autonomy, coalition era
2000s–Present	Issue-based & Personality-driven	LJP, TRS/BRS, YSRCP, AAP, NPP	Identity + governance + populism blend

🧩 Overall Interpretation

1. From Ideology to Identity:
   Indian politics shifted from nationalist ideology (INC, CPI) to identity and governance-based politics (SP, BSP, AAP).
2. Rise of Regionalism:
   States demanded recognition of linguistic and cultural uniqueness — DMK, TDP, BJD, TRS, etc.
3. Caste & Social Justice Politics:
   Post-Mandal era gave rise to OBC- and Dalit-based mobilisation — SP, RJD, BSP.
4. Coalition Era and Federalisation:
   Regional parties became power brokers at the Centre — marking the true federal maturity of Indian democracy.
5. Issue-Based New Politics:
   Movements against corruption and for better governance created AAP — signalling the emergence of a new urban middle-class politics.

🏁 Concluding Perspective

The formation of political parties in India is not random — it is a mirror to India’s socio-political evolution:

• From national unity (INC)
• To class struggle (CPI)
• To regional pride (DMK, TDP, BJD)
• To caste empowerment (BSP, SP, RJD)
• To governance and anti-corruption (AAP)

This is the story of how Indian democracy evolved from a single-party dominance to a vibrant, plural, and competitive system, representing almost every idea, identity, and aspiration of our society.

This topic is part of the complete Polity and Governance Notes for UPSC. Explore the full subject coverage here.