Paper Title
Regulation of Intra-Political Party Democracy for Electoral Reforms in India: A Study of Emerging Problems and Issues
Abstract
The aim of the research paper is to examine the status of intra-party democracy in the political parties of India and, if
required, develop a regulatory framework about how political parties can be made more democratic, inclusive and
egalitarian. The research also expands its study on the effect of such inclusiveness in political parties on electoral reforms in
India. If democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply
to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy. It is the political parties that form the
government, man the Parliament and run the governance of the country. It is, therefore, necessary to introduce internal
democracy, financial transparency and accountability in the working of the political parties. A political party which does not
respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be exposed to respect those principles in the governance of the
country. It can not be dictatorship internally and democratic in its function outside. Irrespective of the many ways in which
intra-party democracy can be institutionalized, some fundamental questions remain: to what extent, how and in which
aspects of party life can members practically control what their party does. This study focuses on two observable
parameters to assess the institutionalization of intra party democracy: the nomination of candidates for contesting
elections and the election of leadership and office bearers.