The idea of democracy as a system government is universally popular. Political regimes of all kinds describe themselves as democracies. Yet what these regimes say and do often substantially different from one to another throughout the world. For instance, Joseph Goebbels hailed Hitler's Third Reich as "the most ennobled form of a modern democratic state" Mao-Tse-Tung calls for his Chinese regime a "People democratic dictatorship". Gamal Abdel Nasscre spoke of his one-man rule over United Arab republic as "A peaceful and clean democracy". Indeed, only a handful of old-fashioned absolute monarch like parties.King Faisal of Saudi Arabia and Sultan of Oman scorn to call their rule "democratic".

But in real sense great care is required in defining democracy The simplest and most realistic definition of democracy is, a regime in which those who govern are chosen by those who are governed, by means of free and open election. It is particularly necessary to distinguish between democracy as a way of life and democracy as a form of government.

India's former President and a reputed scholar, Dr. Radha Krishnan, once defined democracy as "the progress of all, through all, under the leadership of the wisest and the best" The process of selecting the wisest and the best is a political process in a representative form of government and it is in this process that political parties assume their significant character. They become instruments through which the wisest and the best are selected for the fulfilment of people's common interests. Parties and instrumental for collective benefits of the contestants, parties link people togovernment in democracy."[1]

In the ancient times, particularly in Greek city states, the form of government was direct democracy. But in the present era due to large size of the countries, the direct democracy has been replaced by representative democracy. Thus, the modern political parties can fill the vacuum between the government and the citizens in the representative democracy.

Thus, it is clear that working of democracy is not possible without political parties. As a matter of fact, the phrase party-less democracy is a contradiction in term'. As Lord Bryce had put it half a-century ago, no one has shown how. representative government could work. without the political parties." The political parties create democracy and the political parties are not there merely appendages of modern government; they are in Centre of it only to play, a determinative and creative role in it."

Political parties in democratic age are regarded as the most powerful and enduring instrument for the accomplishment of the man's political aspiration and interest. Political parties are the main source for moulding and expressing the public opinion.[2]

Meaning and Nature of Political Party

Definition of the political party is a widely discussed issue. Despite of their acknowledged importance and virtual universality in the contemporary world, political parties lack any precise definition. The term "party" is derived from French word 'Partir' which means, "to divide". Therefore, political parties mean thoseformal groups, which have organized themselves for the purpose of representing the diversified and usually decisive values of political ideology.[3] Several authors highlighting on different aspects like role, nature and its functions, have variously defined the term. Sigmund Neuman begins with simple word derivation. To become a party, something always means, identification with one group and differentiation from another. Every party in its very essence signifies "partnership" particular organization and separation from other by a specific programme.[4]

S. Neuman defines political parties as "the articulate organization of society's active political agents, those who are concerned with the control of governmental power and who compete for popular support with another group and group holding diverse views. As such it is the great intermediary which links social forces and ideologies to official governmental institutions and relate them to political actions within the large political community."

Edmund Burke, who was among the first exponents and advocates of party government describes a political party "a body of man united for promoting by their joint endeavours the national interest on some particular principle." According to Meaning and Nature of Political Party Benjamin constant, "A party is a group of men professing the same political ideas.[5]

According to Max Weber, "a political party is an associative type of social relationship devoted to secure power within a cooperative group for its leaders in order to attain ideal or material advantages for its active members." Which may consist in the realization of certain objective policiesof the attainment of personal advantagesand both.[6]

Thus the definitions given by Burke, Benjamin, Schumpeter, Max Weber and Sartori suggest that political parties are the power seeking instrument. According to Duverger, "a political party is 10t a community but a collection of communities, a union of small groups dispersed throughout of the country,"[7]

Samuel J. Elderveld opines, that "a political party is a social group, a system of meaningful and patterned activity within the large society it consists of set of individuals, popularizing specific roles and behaving as a member actor of a boundaries and identifiable social unit".[8]

The definitions suggested by Duverger and Samuel J Elderveld present the aspect that the political parties are social groups. In the view of McKean, "a party may be defined as an organized group of the electorate that seeks to direct some policies and furnish the personal of the government." Definitions shows that the principal characteristics of the political party is the term of the organization, policy execution, policy framing.[9]

According to La Palmbara and Weiner, "our definition required: (1) continuity of organization that is an organization which expect life span is not dependent upon the life span of current leaders, (2)political parties should have permanent oryanizational structure at the local levels, Giovanni Sartori defines, "a political and other relationship between the local arid there should be regular communication and the national units; (3) there should be election and is capable of placing through self-conscious desire by the leader at the various levels to control and exercise power either alone or in coalition with others; (4) there should be concern on the part of the organization to seck support from the followers at the polls or in same manner striving for popular support. According to the American people encyclopedia the political party as an organization of persons seeking to influence the polices and provide the personal of government."[10]

Dictionary of political science describes political party, "A political organization which expresses the interests of a particular social class (workers, bourgeois, peasants, revolutionary democratic and other parties). The existence of parties is bound up with struggle for political power, for the satisfaction of class interests, for attainment of the ultimate objectives of given class."[11]

After analysis and discussion of various definitions of the political party, a political party can be defined as a group of members of a national society who organize themselves on a stable basis with purpose of acquiring, retaining and exercising power within that society in order to secure what they perceive to be the goals of the society, and endeavour to mobilize that end the support of as large a section of that same society as is possible.[12]

Party system has become the integral part of democracy. The most frequently used typology of party system has been a purely numerical division into three classesone party system, two party system and multi-party system. But party system in democratic states is divided into two party and multi-party system.[13] This division is of great significance as it affects greatly the working and stability of government in democracy.

Role of Political Parties in Democracy

Representation is often seen as the primary function of political parties in democracy. They articulate the views of both members and the voters. In the language of system theory, political parties are major 'in putting devices that ensure the government needs and wishes of larger society.[14]

In democracy, political parties provide a link between the government and its people. They seek to educate, instruct and activate the electorate. That is, they perform the job of political mobilization, secularization and recruitment of leaders. Parties also use means of mass media to give political education to the people and do the work of political socialization. It is parties alone that can undertake today the colossal task of educating millions of voters they direct the attention of the voters to specific issues and problems, place their views before them, make public opinion definite and purposive, wake them up from lethargy, inertia and indifference and guide them on to action.[15]

It is true that each party places only its own partisan views before voters but they are controverter and exposed by other parties, who in turn, try to convince. them differently. Thus, the voters get the chance to knowing different point of view and make up their own mind on issues before them. Political parties thus carry-on political education of the masses. They enable the people to remain alive to their responsibilities and to maintain interest in public affairs. They make public thinking purposive and definite and persuade the voters to exercise their rights intelligently.[16]

In democratic system, political parties are one of the means through which societies set collective goals and, in some cases, ensure that they are carried out. Parties play this role because, in the process of seeking power, they formulate programs of government with a view to attracting popular support Not only does this mean that parties are a source of policy initiation, it also encourage them to formulate coherent set of policy options that give the electorate a choice amongst realistic and achievable goals.[17] This function is most clearly carried out by parties in democratic parliamentary systems that are able to claim a mandate to implement their policies if they are elected to power.

In the newer and developing nations of the world where political habits and traditions are yet to grow up, political parties do the job of political modernization That is, they strive to give a particular shape to the government, provide the main link between different social and economic groups, constitute the chief agency for political education and socialization, break down traditional barriers and act as the binding force in communities divided by groups based on tribal affiliation, religious denomination or national origin. The role of the Congress party of this type where the great leaders have played a monumental part in the framing of the Constitution and running the government on the lines of parliamentary democracy.[18]

As we know, democracy is such kind of system, in which all kinds of people haveright to form organizations and interest groups. In the process of developing collective goals, 4 parties also help to articulate and aggregate the various interests found in society. Parties, indeed, often develop as vehicles 3 M Duverger, Political through which business, labour, religious, ethnic or other groups advance and defend their various interests For instance, the U. K’slabour party was created by the trade union movement with the aim of achieving working-class political representation.[19]

Lastly it is night to say that successful functioning of a political party consequently depends to no small extent upon sound and inspiring leadership. It is often said that the future of democracy depends upon the ability of a country to produce the right type of leadership and that is why, it is of the utmost importance 10 James Bryce, "Modern Democracies", as that a political parties should reorient their quoted by Gurmukh Nihal Singh, Fundamentals system of selecting leaders, who have great strength of character, ability and the spirit of dedicated service in the cause of the nation.

It has been found that, political parties cannot maintain their internal democracy, but for the effective functioning of democracy it would be useful, if the political parties put tenets of internal democracy in practice. Thus, it has become evident- from above analysis that political parties. are essential for democracy. Without well- organized political parties, it is not possible to work representative democracy.

1. John D. Lewis, "The Elements of Democracy". American Political Science Review, 34, June 1940, p 467.

2. Lohn W. Lewis, Leadership in Communist China, Cornell University Press, New York, 1996. P-29

3. Austin Rannay, The Governing of Man Fourth Edition the Dryden Press, Hinsdales, Illinois. 1973. p. 227.

4. Judson L Junes, American Political Parties Potential and Performance. University of London Press, London, 1971, p. 15.

5. M. Duverger, Political Parties: Their Organization and Activity in the Modern State, Methuen and Co. Ltd. London, 1955 p-354.

6. Austin Ranney and Willmore Kinddall Democracy and American Party System Harcourt Brace and Co, New York, 1956, p. 24

7. Ibid. pp. 23-37

8. DC. Pavate, "Some Features of the Politics of Coalition in KP Karunakaran (ed). Coalition Government in India, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla 1975. p. 15

9. G. Sartori, Parties and Party System A Framework for Analysis, Cambridge University Press, London, 1976, p. 25

10. James Bryce, "Modern Democracies", as quoted by Gurmkh Nihal Singh, Fundamentals of Political Science and Organization, Kitab Mahal Pvt. Ltd, Allahabad 1966, p 403.

11. Austin Ranny, op. cit., p. 196

12. S. Neuman. "Towards a Comparative Study of Political Parties", in Harry Eckstein and David Abter (eds), Comparative Parties, Harper and Brothers, New York, 1963, p. 328

13. S. Neuman (ed), Modern Political Parties. Approaches to Comparative Polines. TheUniversity of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1957, p. 396.

14. R.H. Soltau, Introduction to Politics, Longman Green and Co, London, 1957. pp. 189-190

15. Maurice Duverger, op cit. p 14

16. M Weber, The Theory of Social and Economic Organization, William Hodge and Co, London 1947, p. 373

17. G. Sartori, op cit. p. 63.

18. M. Duverger, op. cit. p 17.