List of political parties in India

India has a multi-party system. The Election Commission of India (ECI) grants recognition to national-level and state-level political parties based on objective criteria. A recognised political party enjoys privileges such as a reserved party symbol, free broadcast time on state-run television and radio, consultation in deciding election dates, and giving input in setting electoral rules and regulations. Other political parties wishing to contest local, state, or national elections must be registered with the ECI. Registered parties can be upgraded to recognized national or state parties by the ECI if they meet the relevant criteria after a Lok Sabha or state legislative assembly election. The ECI periodically reviews the recognized party status.

Before the amendment in 2016 (which came into force on 1 January 2014), if a political party failed to fulfill the criteria in the subsequent Lok Sabha or state legislative assembly election, it would lose its status as a recognized party. In 2016, the ECI announced that a periodic review would take place after two consecutive elections instead of after every election. Therefore, a political party will retain its recognized party status even if it does not meet the criteria in the next election. However, if it fails to meet the criteria in the election following the next one, it would lose its status.

As per latest publications dated 23 March 2024 from Election Commission of India, and subsequent notifications, there are 6 national parties, 58 state parties, and 2,763 unrecognized parties in India. All registered parties contesting elections need to choose a symbol from a list of available symbols offered by the ECI. All 29 states of the country along with the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, National Capital Territory of Delhi, and Puducherry have elected governments unless President's rule is imposed under certain conditions.

Criteria for recognition

National party status

A registered party is recognised as a national party only if it fulfills any one of the three conditions listed below:

  • If its candidates have secured at least 6% of total valid votes in at least 4 states (in latest Lok Sabha or Assembly elections) and the party has at least 4 MPs in the last Lok Sabha polls.
  • If it has won at least 2% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha from at least 3 states.
  • It is 'recognised' in four or more states.

State party status

A registered party is recognised as a state party only if it fulfils any one of the five conditions listed below:

  • A party should secure at least six per cent of valid votes polled in an election to the state legislative assembly and win at least two seats in that state assembly.
  • A party should secure at least six per cent of valid votes polled in an election to Lok Sabha and win at least one seat in Lok Sabha.
  • A party should win at least three per cent of the total number of seats or any fraction thereof allotted to that state.
  • At least one MP for every 25 members or any fraction allotted to the state in the Lok Sabha.
  • Under the liberalised criteria, one more clause that it will be eligible for recognition as state party if it secures eight per cent or more of the total valid votes polled in the state.

National parties

6 recognised national parties
Party Flag Election
symbol
Political
position
Position Founded Leader Government in states/UTs Seats
Chief ministers Alliance partner Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha State
assemblies
State
councils
Aam Aadmi Party AAP Centre
  • Welfarism
  • Indian nationalism
  • Populism
  • Secularism
26 November 2012
(13 years ago)
 (2012-11-26)
Arvind Kejriwal
1 / 31
0 / 31
3 / 543
10 / 245
122 / 4,123
0 / 426
Bahujan Samaj Party BSP Centre-left
  • Social justice
  • Self-respect
  • Ambedkarism
14 April 1984
(41 years ago)
 (1984-04-14)
Mayawati
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
1 / 245
3 / 4,123
0 / 426
Bharatiya Janata Party BJP Right-wing to far-right
  • Conservatism
  • Neoliberalism
  • Hindutva
  • Hindu nationalism
  • Right-wing populism
6 April 1980
(45 years ago)
 (1980-04-06)
J. P. Nadda
15 / 31
5 / 31
240 / 543
103 / 245
1,656 / 4,123
165 / 426
Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) Left-wing Marxism-Leninism
Socialism
Secularism
7 November 1964
(61 years ago)
 (1964-11-07)
M. A. Baby
1 / 31
2 / 31
4 / 543
4 / 245
80 / 4,123
0 / 426
Indian National Congress INC Centre
  • Big tent
  • Liberalism
  • Social democracy
  • Secularism
  • Civic nationalism
28 December 1885
(140 years ago)
 (1885-12-28)
Mallikarjun Kharge
3 / 31
3 / 31
101 / 543
27 / 245
653 / 4,123
60 / 426
National People's Party NPP Centre-right
  • Conservatism
  • Regionalism
6 January 2013
(12 years ago)
 (2013-01-06)
Conrad Sangma
1 / 31
2 / 31
0 / 543
1 / 245
50 / 4,123
0 / 426

State parties

67 recognised state parties
Party Flag Election
symbol
Founded Leader(s) Recognised in state(s) Government in states/UTs Seats
Chief minister Alliance partner Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha State
assemblies
State
councils
State party in three states
All India Trinamool Congress 1998 Mamata Banerjee Meghalaya
Tripura
West Bengal
1 / 31
0 / 31
29 / 543
13 / 245
230 / 4,123
0 / 426
Communist Party of India 1925 D. Raja Kerala
Manipur
Tamil Nadu
0 / 31
3 / 31
2 / 543
2 / 245
22 / 4,123
1 / 426
Janata Dal (Secular) 1999 H. D. Deve Gowda
H. D. Kumaraswamy
Arunachal Pradesh
Karnataka
Kerala
0 / 31
1 / 31
2 / 543
1 / 245
18 / 4,123
8 / 426
Janata Dal (United) 2003 Nitish Kumar Arunachal Pradesh
Bihar
Manipur
1 / 31
0 / 31
12 / 543
4 / 245
46 / 4,123
26 / 426
Nationalist Congress Party 1999 Ajit Pawar Arunachal Pradesh
Maharashtra
Nagaland
0 / 31
2 / 31
1 / 543
3 / 245
44 / 4,123
8 / 426
State party in two states
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1972 Edappadi K. Palaniswami Puducherry
Tamil Nadu
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
4 / 245
61 / 4,123
0 / 426
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1949 M. K. Stalin Puducherry
Tamil Nadu
1 / 31
0 / 31
22 / 543
10 / 245
137 / 4,123
0 / 426
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) 2021 Chirag Paswan Nagaland
Bihar
0 / 31
1 / 31
5 / 543
0 / 245
3 / 4,123
0 / 426
Naga People's Front 2002 Neiphiu Rio Nagaland
Manipur
1 / 31
1 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
39 / 4,123
0 / 426
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) 2024 Sharad Pawar Maharashtra
Nagaland
0 / 31
1 / 31
8 / 543
2 / 245
12 / 4,123
3 / 426
Rashtriya Janata Dal 1997 Lalu Prasad Yadav
Tejashwi Yadav
Bihar
Jharkhand
0 / 31
2 / 31
4 / 543
5 / 245
81 / 4,123
5 / 426
Telugu Desam Party 1982 N. Chandrababu Naidu Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
1 / 31
0 / 31
16 / 543
2 / 245
135 / 4,123
10 / 426
YSR Congress Party 2011 Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
0 / 31
0 / 31
4 / 543
7 / 245
11 / 4,123
35 / 426
State party in one state
All India Forward Bloc 1939 Debabrata Biswas West Bengal
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen 1927 Asaduddin Owaisi Telangana
0 / 31
0 / 31
1 / 543
0 / 245
10 / 4,123
2 / 426
All India N.R. Congress 2011 N. Rangaswamy Puducherry
1 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
10 / 4,123
0 / 426
All India United Democratic Front 2005 Badruddin Ajmal Assam
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
15 / 4,123
0 / 426
All Jharkhand Students Union 1986 Sudesh Mahto Jharkhand
0 / 31
0 / 31
1 / 543
0 / 245
1 / 4,123
0 / 426
Apna Dal (Sonelal) 2016 Anupriya Patel Uttar Pradesh
0 / 31
1 / 31
2 / 543
0 / 245
12 / 4,123
1 / 426
Asom Gana Parishad 1985 Atul Bora Assam
0 / 31
1 / 31
0 / 543
1 / 245
9 / 4,123
0 / 426
Bharat Adivasi Party 2023 Mohan Lal Roat Rajasthan
0 / 31
0 / 31
1 / 543
0 / 245
5 / 4,123
0 / 426
Bharat Rashtra Samithi 2001 K. Chandrashekar Rao Telangana
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
4 / 245
39 / 4,123
19 / 426
Biju Janata Dal 1997 Naveen Patnaik Odisha
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
7 / 245
51 / 4,123
0 / 426
Bodoland People's Front 2005 Hagrama Mohilary Assam
0 / 31
1 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
3 / 4,123
0 / 426
Citizen Action Party – Sikkim 2023 Ganesh Kumar Rai Sikkim
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation 1974 Dipankar Bhattacharya Bihar
0 / 31
1 / 31
2 / 543
0 / 245
13 / 4,123
1 / 426
Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam 2005 Premallatha Vijayakant Tamil Nadu
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Goa Forward Party 2016 Vijai Sardesai Goa
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
1 / 4,123
0 / 426
Hill State People's Democratic Party 1968 KP Pangniang Meghalaya
0 / 31
1 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
2 / 4,123
0 / 426
Indian National Lok Dal 1996 Abhay Singh Chautala Haryana
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
2 / 4,123
0 / 426
Indian Union Muslim League 1948 Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal Kerala
0 / 31
0 / 31
3 / 543
2 / 245
15 / 4,123
0 / 426
Indigenous People's Front of Tripura 2009 Prem Kumar Reang Tripura
0 / 31
1 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
1 / 4,123
0 / 426
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference 1932 Farooq Abdullah
Omar Abdullah
Jammu and Kashmir
1 / 31
0 / 31
2 / 543
3 / 245
42 / 4,123
0 / 426
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party 1982 Harsh Dev Singh Jammu and Kashmir
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party 1999 Mehbooba Mufti Jammu and Kashmir
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
3 / 4,123
0 / 426
Janasena Party 2014 Pawan Kalyan Andhra Pradesh
0 / 31
0 / 31
2 / 543
0 / 245
21 / 4,123
2 / 426
Jannayak Janta Party 2018 Dushyant Chautala Haryana
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Janta Congress Chhattisgarh 2016 Renu Jogi Chhattisgarh
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha 1972 Hemant Soren Jharkhand
1 / 31
0 / 31
3 / 543
2 / 245
34 / 4,123
0 / 426
Kerala Congress 1964 P. J. Joseph Kerala
0 / 31
0 / 31
1 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Kerala Congress (M) 1979 Jose K. Mani Kerala
0 / 31
1 / 31
0 / 543
1 / 245
5 / 4,123
0 / 426
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena 2006 Raj Thackeray Maharashtra
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party 1963 Deepak Dhavalikar Goa
0 / 31
1 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
2 / 4,123
0 / 426
Mizo National Front 1961 Zoramthanga Mizoram
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
1 / 245
10 / 4,123
0 / 426
Naam Tamilar Katchi 1958 Seeman Tamil Nadu
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
People's Party of Arunachal 1977 Kamen Ringu Arunachal Pradesh
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
1 / 4,123
0 / 426
Rashtriya Loktantrik Party 2018 Hanuman Beniwal Rajasthan
0 / 31
0 / 31
1 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Republican Party of India (Athawale) 1999 Ramdas Athawale Manipur
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Revolutionary Goans Party 2022 Viresh Borkar Goa
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
1 / 4,123
0 / 426
Revolutionary Socialist Party 1940 Manoj Bhattacharya Kerala
0 / 31
0 / 31
1 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Samajwadi Party 1992 Akhilesh Yadav Uttar Pradesh
0 / 31
0 / 31
37 / 543
4 / 245
112 / 4,123
9 / 426
Shiromani Akali Dal 1920 Sukhbir Singh Badal Punjab
0 / 31
0 / 31
1 / 543
0 / 245
3 / 4,123
0 / 426
Sikkim Democratic Front 1993 Pawan Kumar Chamling Sikkim
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Sikkim Krantikari Morcha 2013 Prem Singh Tamang Sikkim
1 / 31
0 / 31
1 / 543
0 / 245
32 / 4,123
0 / 426
Shiv Sena 2022 Eknath Shinde Maharashtra
0 / 31
1 / 31
7 / 543
1 / 245
59 / 4,123
8 / 426
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) 2022 Uddhav Thackeray Maharashtra
0 / 31
0 / 31
9 / 543
2 / 245
20 / 4,123
6 / 426
Tipra Motha Party 2019 Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma Tripura
0 / 31
1 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
13 / 4,123
0 / 426
United Democratic Party 1997 Metbah Lyngdoh Meghalaya
0 / 31
1 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
11 / 4,123
0 / 426
United People's Party Liberal 2015 Urkhao Gwra Brahma Assam
0 / 31
1 / 31
1 / 543
1 / 245
7 / 4,123
0 / 426
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi 1990 Thol. Thirumavalavan Tamil Nadu
0 / 31
2 / 31
2 / 543
0 / 245
4 / 4,123
0 / 426
Voice of the People Party 2021 Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit Meghalaya
0 / 31
0 / 31
1 / 543
0 / 245
4 / 4,123
0 / 426
Zoram Nationalist Party 1997 H. Lalrinmawia Mizoram
0 / 31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,123
0 / 426
Zoram People's Movement 2017 Lalduhoma Mizoram
1 / 31
0 / 31
1 / 543
0 / 245
27 / 4,123
0 / 426

Unrecognised parties

Notable registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs)
Party Founded Leader(s) States
Aam Janta Pragati Party 2022 Ashutosh Narayan Jha All-India
Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha 1915 Chakrapani All-India
All India Hindustan Congress Party 2015 Buddh Prakash Sharma Gujarat
Rajasthan
All India Mahila Empowerment Party 2017 Nowhera Shaik Telangana
Karnataka
Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam 2018 T. T. V. Dhinakaran Tamil Nadu
Amra Bangali 1983 Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar West Bengal
Tripura
Azad Adhikar Sena 2022 Amitabh Thakur, Dr Nutan Thakur Uttar Pradesh
Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) 2020 Chanda Shekhar Azad Uttar Pradesh
Bahujan Mukti Party 2012 Pravendra Pratap Singh Uttar Pradesh
Maharashtra
Bharatiya Minorities Suraksha Mahasangh 1983 Sundar Shaekhar Maharashtra
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha 2007 Bimal Gurung West Bengal
Goa Suraksha Manch 2016 Subhash Velingkar Goa
Gondwana Ganatantra Party 1991 Tuleshwar Hira Singh Markam Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand
Maharashtra
Hindu Sena 2011 Vishnu Gupta New Delhi
Hindustani Awam Morcha 2015 Jitan Ram Manjhi Bihar
Indiya Jananayaka Katchi 2010 T. R. Paarivendhar Tamil Nadu
Indian Gandhiyan Party 2012 Aashin U S Kerala
Indian Secular Front 2021 Nawsad Siddique West Bengal
Ittehad-e-Millat Council 2001 Tauqeer Raza Khan Uttar Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party 2020 Altaf Bukhari Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir Workers Party 2020 Mir Junaid Jammu and Kashmir
Jan Shakti Party of India 2015 Gurjeet Singh Azad Punjab
Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) 2018 Raghuraj Pratap Singh Uttar Pradesh
Jan Suraaj Party 2024 Prashant Kishore Bihar
Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha 2024 Jairam Kumar Mahato Jharkhand
Karnataka Rashtra Samithi 2019 Ravi Krishna Reddy Karnataka
Kerala Congress (B) 1989 K. B. Ganesh Kumar Kerala
Kerala Congress (Jacob) 1991 Anoop Jacob Kerala
Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi 2013 E. R. Eswaran Tamil Nadu
Kongunadu Makkal Katchi 2000 A. M. Raja Tamil Nadu
Lok Satta Party 2006 Jaya Prakash Narayana Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
Lok Insaaf Party 2019 Simarjit Singh Bains Punjab
Makkal Needhi Maiam 2018 Kamal Haasan Tamil Nadu
Puducherry
Manipur Peoples Party 1968 Sovakiran N. Manipur
Manithaneya Makkal Katchi 2009 M. H. Jawahirullah Tamil Nadu
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1992 Vaiko Tamil Nadu
Puducherry
NISHAD Party 2016 Sanjay Nishad Uttar Pradesh
Odisha Jan Morcha 2013 Pyarimohan Mohapatra Odisha
Param Digvijay Dal 2014 Krishna Mohan Shankar Yogi Uttar Pradesh
Pattali Makkal Katchi 1989 S. Ramadoss Puducherry
Tamil Nadu
Peace Party of India 2008 Mohamed Ayub Uttar Pradesh
People's Democratic Alliance (Manipur) 2012 Bd. Behring Anal Manipur
People's Democratic Front 2001 Ajoy Biswas Tripura
Plurals Party 2020 Pushpam Priya Choudhary Bihar
Puthiya Tamilagam 1996 K. Krishnasamy Tamil Nadu
Raijor Dal 2020 Akhil Gogoi Assam
Rashtriya Lok Dal 1996 Jayant Chaudhary Uttar Pradesh
Rajasthan
Rashtriya Lok Morcha 2023 Upendra Kushwaha Bihar
Rashtriya Samaj Paksha 2003 Mahadev Jankar Maharashtra
Kerala
Rashtriya Ulama Council 2008 Aamir Rashadi Madni Uttar Pradesh
Labour Party (India) 2019 Rahul Chimanbhai Mehta All-India
Samata Party 1994 Uday Mandal Bihar
Manipur
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) 1994 Simranjit Singh Mann Punjab
Social Democratic Party of India 2009 M. K. Faizy Karnataka
Kerala
Tamil Nadu
Socialist Party (India) 2011 Thampan Thomas Uttar Pradesh
Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) 1948 Provash Ghosh All-India
Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party 2002 Om Prakash Rajbhar Uttar Pradesh
Swaraj India 2016 Yogendra Yadav Haryana
Karnataka
Maharashtra
Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) 1996 G. K. Vasan Tamil Nadu
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam 2024 Vijay Puducherry
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu Kongu Ilaingar Peravai 2001 U. Thaniyarasu Tamil Nadu
Uttarakhand Kranti Dal 1979 Kashi Singh Airy Uttarakhand
Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi 2018 Prakash Yashwant Ambedkar Maharashtra
Vikassheel Insaan Party 2018 Mukesh Sahani Bihar
Welfare Party of India 2011 S. Q. R. Ilyas Kerala

Historical parties

Party Flag Election symbol Leader(s) State(s) Ideology Founded Dissolved
Krishak Praja Party A. K. Fazlul Haq Populism 1929 1947
Scheduled Castes Federation Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Social equality
Social justice
1942 1957
Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress A. Nesamony 1945 1957
Socialist Party of India Jaya Prakash Narayan Socialism 1948 1952
Lok Sewak Sangh 1948 1971
Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad Swami Karpatri Hindu nationalism 1948 1971
All India Ganatantra Parishad Rajendra Narayana Singh Deo Liberalism
Agrarianism
1950 1962
Tamil Nadu Toilers' Party 1951 1954
Commonweal Party 1951 1954
People's Democratic Front Communism
Marxism–Leninism
1951 1958
Krishikar Lok Party N. G. Ranga 1951 1959
Chota Nagpur Santhal Parganas Janata Party Regionalism 1951 1960
Bharatiya Jana Sangh Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Hindu nationalism
National conservatism
1951 1977
Praja Socialist Party J. B. Kripalani Socialism 1952 1972
Swatantra Party Chakravarti Rajagopalachari Liberal conservatism
Secularism
1959 1974
Samyukta Socialist Party George Fernandes Socialism 1964 1977
Bangla Congress Ajoy Mukherjee 1967 1971
Bharatiya Kranti Dal Charan Singh 1967 1974
Utkal Congress Biju Patnaik 1969 1974
Indian National Congress (Organisation) K. Kamaraj 1969 1977
Pragati Legislature Party Biju Patnaik 1973 1974
Congress for Democracy Jagjivan Ram 1977 1977
Janata Party (Secular) or Dalit Mazdoor Kisan Party or Lok Dal Charan Singh Secularism 1979 (JPE-S),
1984 (DMKP),
1980, 1985 (LD)
1988
Indian Congress (Socialist) Sarat Chandra Sinha 1978 1986
Indian National Congress (U) D. Devaraj Urs 1979 1981
Indian National Congress (Jagjivan) Jagjivan Ram 1981 1988
Jan Morcha V. P. Singh 1987 1988
Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani Sivaji Ganesan 1988 1989
Janata Dal V. P. Singh 1988 1999
Lok Shakti Ramakrishna Hegde 1998 2003
Lok Janshakti Party Ramvilas Paswan 2000 2021
Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) Pappu Yadav 2015 2024
Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party Neiphiu Rio 2018 2025

See also

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