## **Why in the News?**

Discussions are ongoing about the role of Election Commission of India (ECI) in enforcing democratic functioning of political parties in India.

## **What is Internal Party Democracy?**

**Internal party democracy** is conceived as the **internal arrangement, structure, and coordination of political parties** in consonance with **democratic principles **with direct bearing on **how candidates are selected, leaders emerge, policies are made and funding is provided.**

**Need for Internal Party Democracy**

-   **Decentralization: **It **limits the centralized discretionary control** exercised by top-level party leaders and opens decision-making processes to **input from wider circles of party stakeholders at various levels.**
-   **Prevent criminalization: **Addresses the systemic issue of candidate selection based on "winnability"**, **often driven by money and muscle power. 
    -   As per Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), **46% of the**newly elected **Lok Sabha members**have **criminal cases** against them**.**
-   **Representation: **It provides citizens equal political opportunity to participate in politics and contest elections.
-   **Youth participation: **It **opens up opportunities **for new talent and reduces **the influence** of established leaders.
-   **Reduce corruption: **Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC)’s 2008 Ethics and Governance report noted that corruption is caused by over-centralisation.
-   **Transparency and Free flow of information: John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty" (1859) **argues for the “absolute” protection of the “liberty of thought and discussion.

## **Reasons for Lack of Internal-Party Democracy**

-   **No statutory backing: **The only governing provision is under **Section 29A of the Representation of the Peoples’ Act (RPA), 1951 **which provides for registration of political parties with the ECI.
    -   Also, **ECI’s Guidelines and Application Format** for the Registration of Political Parties under Section 29A only prescribe **provisions for internal accountability and not candidate selection.**
-   **Lack of penal provisions: **As per the judgment under **Supreme Court in Indian National Congress (I) v Institute of Social Welfare**, the ECI currently lacks the power to deregister a party.
-   **Structural Challenges: **Prevalence of dynastic politics; Centralized power structures; Anti-Defection Law (52nd Amendment to the Constitution) of 1985 mandating strict party line adherence, etc.
-   **Other issues**: Lack of political will, Weak Organizational Framework, etc.

![Quote by NCRWC stressing for reforms in political parties](https://d2av8kbir6lh9m.cloudfront.net/uploads/sKFKzGwbRMk1oWENnTq5qK9jKl9hA261AS8i5kHf.jpg)

**Way Forward **

-   **Transparency:** Several government-constituted committees related to electoral reforms like **the Tarkunde Committee (1975), Dinesh Goswami Committee (1990),** and **Indrajit Gupta Committee (1998)**strongly **argued for more transparent working of the political parties** in the country.
-   **Recommendations of Law Commission (255th Report) on “Electoral Reforms”:**
    -   **New Chapter IVC in RPA, 1951**: To deal with internal democracy, party Constitutions, party organisation, internal elections, candidate selection, voting procedures, and the **ECI's power to de-register a party in certain cases of non-compliance.**
-   **National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC):**
    -   **Comprehensive legislation **\[**as the Political Parties (Registration and Regulation) Act**\]**, **regulating the registration and functioning of political parties or alliances of parties in India.