Political Parties of India
A reference directory of the major national and state political parties of India. Each profile covers founding, ideology, leadership, alliances and notable controversies, compiled from public sources for civic awareness.
National parties
6The Bharatiya Janata Party is one of two major political parties in India, along with the Indian National Congress. It is the ruling party of the Republic of India since 2014 and the largest political party in the world by primary membership.
The Indian National Congress is the oldest political party in India and the principal opposition at the centre. It led the freedom movement against British rule and governed India for most of the post-independence period.
The Aam Aadmi Party emerged from the India Against Corruption movement of 2011 led by Anna Hazare. It positions itself as a citizen-first, anti-corruption alternative to the BJP and Congress.
The CPI(M) is India's largest communist party. It broke away from the Communist Party of India in 1964 over differences on strategy and the Sino-Soviet split.
The Bahujan Samaj Party was founded to represent Bahujans — Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and religious minorities — drawing on the ideas of B. R. Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule and Periyar.
The National People's Party is the first political party from north-east India to be recognised as a national party (2019). It currently leads the government of Meghalaya.
State parties
17The All India Trinamool Congress is the ruling party of West Bengal and one of the largest opposition parties in the Lok Sabha. It split from the Indian National Congress in 1998.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is the ruling party of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the principal voices of Dravidian politics, emphasising Tamil language, social justice and rationalism.
The AIADMK was founded by film star and politician M. G. Ramachandran after a split from the DMK. It has alternated power with the DMK in Tamil Nadu for decades.
The Samajwadi Party is the principal opposition in Uttar Pradesh and draws on the socialist tradition of Ram Manohar Lohia. Its core base includes OBCs (particularly Yadavs) and Muslims.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal split from the Janata Dal in 1997 and is one of the most influential parties in Bihar, with strong support among Yadavs and Muslims.
The Janata Dal (United) was formed by the merger of factions of the Janata Dal, the Lok Shakti and the Samata Party. It is the senior partner in the Bihar government under Nitish Kumar.
Shiv Sena (UBT) is the faction of the original Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray after the 2022 split. The Election Commission allotted the original name and bow-and-arrow symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction.
Following the Election Commission's February 2023 order, this faction led by Eknath Shinde retains the original 'Shiv Sena' name and the bow-and-arrow symbol. It is part of the ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra.
The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is the faction of the original Nationalist Congress Party led by veteran politician Sharad Pawar after his nephew Ajit Pawar split the party in July 2023.
Following the Election Commission's February 2024 order, this faction led by Ajit Pawar retains the 'Nationalist Congress Party' name and the clock symbol. It is part of the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.
The Biju Janata Dal was formed in 1997 in memory of Biju Patnaik. Under Naveen Patnaik it governed Odisha for 24 uninterrupted years (2000–2024) — the second longest CM tenure in Indian history.
The YSRCP was founded by Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy after he left the Congress following his father Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy's death. It governed Andhra Pradesh from 2019 to 2024.
The Telugu Desam Party was founded by film legend N. T. Rama Rao on a Telugu-pride platform. It is currently the ruling party of Andhra Pradesh.
Formerly the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the party was rebranded as the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in 2022 to signal national ambitions. It led the movement for a separate Telangana state, achieved in 2014.
One of India's oldest political parties, the Shiromani Akali Dal grew out of the Gurdwara Reform movement of the 1920s and remains closely associated with Sikh religious and political identity.
AIMIM is a Hyderabad-based party that primarily represents Indian Muslim interests. It is led by Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi.
The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference is the oldest political party in the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Founded in 1939, it has played a central role in J&K's politics for nearly nine decades.