Regional or State Parties

Parties that work for a particular region or a state and are popular there alone are called regional parties or state parties.

D.M.K., A.I.A.D.M.K. and Tamil Maniia Congress (Tamil Nadu), Telugu Desam (Andhra Pradesh), Shiv Sena (Maharashtra), Asom Gana Parishad (Assam), Revolutionary Socialist Party (West Bengal), Akali Dal (Punjab), National Conference (Jammu & Kashmir) are some such regional parties. These parties are, no doubt, not as important as the all-India (national or major) political parties, yet they have an importance of their own :

1. They cater to the needs of a particular state. As such they serve the people well in their own areas.

2. When their members are elected to the Parliament they represent the people of their respective regions better and draw the attention of the country towards the regional problems as well.

3. Generally such regional parties form the
backbone of the opposition. They serve the important purpose of keeping the Central Government straight.

4. Since 1996, many of the regional parties extended support to one or the other national-level coalition government at the Centre. Thus, they have acquired great importance by taking a share in the national policies. They have undoubtedly helped in giving stability to the Central Government.

Read More: National Party: 6 Major Parties - Symbols and Importance - Class 10