India’s political system operates under its Constitution, establishing it as a parliamentary secular democratic republic. The President is the head of state, while the Prime Minister is the head of government. The system is federal in nature, with a central authority and state governments. The Constitution, while amendable, is supreme and requires all laws to conform to it.
India has a bicameral legislature the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The Rajya Sabha represents states, while the Lok Sabha represents the general populace. The Supreme Court, as part of an independent judiciary, safeguards the Constitution and fundamental rights, resolves disputes, and invalidates unconstitutional laws.
The Lok Sabha consists of 543 members elected by plurality voting from single-member districts, and the Rajya Sabha has 245 members, with 233 elected indirectly and 12 nominated by the President. Governments are formed based on majority control in the Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha, with elections held every five years. The most recent election, in April-June 2024, resulted in a new government led by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The Government of India follows the Westminster model and comprises three branches: the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. The Constitution assigns powers to the Prime Minister, Parliament, and Supreme Court. The President is the head of state and commander-in-chief, while the Prime Minister leads the executive branch and manages the Union government. The Parliament is bicameral, consisting of the Lok Sabha (lower house) and the Rajya Sabha (upper house). The judiciary includes the Supreme Court, 25 High Courts, and 688 district courts, with the Supreme Court being the highest authority.
The Lok Sabha, or House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament. Members are elected by universal suffrage through a first-past-the-post system for five-year terms. The house can have up to 552 members, currently holding 543 seats. It includes reserved seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The house meets in New Delhi, and its quorum is 10% of its total membership.
The Rajya Sabha, or Council of States, is the upper house of Parliament with a maximum of 250 members. Of these, 238 are elected by state legislatures and union territories, and 12 are appointed by the President for their expertise. Members serve staggered six-year terms, with one-third elected every two years. The Rajya Sabha cannot be dissolved but can be prorogued. It shares legislative powers with the Lok Sabha, except in financial matters where the Lok Sabha prevails.
The Prime Minister is the head of government and holds executive power, though the President is the nominal head. The Prime Minister must be a member of either house of Parliament and must maintain the confidence of the majority in the Lok Sabha. They are appointed by the President and oversee the Council of Ministers.
State governments in India govern 28 states and 8 union territories, led by a Chief Minister who heads the Council of Ministers. Each state has a legislative assembly, which can be unicameral or bicameral. A unicameral legislature consists solely of the State Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha), while a bicameral legislature includes both the Vidhan Sabha and the State Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad). The Vidhan Sabha parallels the Lok Sabha, and the Vidhan Parishad parallels the Rajya Sabha in the Parliament of India.
The Vidhan Sabha, or State Legislative Assembly, is present in all states and 3 union territories. In 22 states and 3 union territories, it is the sole legislative body. Each Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is elected for a 5-year term from single-member constituencies. The Assembly must have between 60 and 500 members, though some states like Goa and Sikkim have exceptions. Assemblies can be dissolved in emergencies, by the Governor at the Chief Minister’s request, or if a no-confidence motion is passed.
The Vidhan Parishad, or State Legislative Council, serves as the upper house in states with a bicameral legislature. Only 6 states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh) have a Legislative Council. It cannot exceed one-third the size of the Vidhan Sabha and must have at least 40 members, who elect the Chairman and Deputy Chairman.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): Mayawati
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP): Arvind Kejriwal
Telugu Desham Party (TDP): N Chandra Babu Naidu
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP): Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy
Telangana Congress Party: Revanth Reddy
Rashtirya Janata Dal (RJD): Lalu Prasad Yadav
Karnataka Congress Party (INC): Siddaramaiah
All India Trinamool Congress (TMC): Mamatha Banerjee
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS): K Chandrashekar Rao
Kolkata: On Friday, January 10, 2026, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha members demonstrated against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her actions after the ED raids at the I-PAC office and its chief Pratik Jain's home. | In relation to an alleged coal smuggling case that stretches back a few years, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) office and Pratik Jain's home on Loudon Street in Kolkata on Thursday, January 8, 2025. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a protest against the ED raids on I-PAC after the raid set off a political storm in the state. Why is a chief minister endorsing Pratik Jain, and who is he? Pratik Jain, a political strategist and co-founder of I-PAC, is a graduate of IIT Bombay. He is credited with helping I-PAC grow into one of the most significant political consulting organizations in India. I-PAC was established in 2015 and offers services like data-driven campaign management, support for governance, and voter outreach initiatives. It has collaborated with a number of Indian political groups throughout the years, notably West Bengal's Trinamool Congress (TMC). I-PAC reportedly collaborates closely with Abhishek Banerjee, the national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress, and his office. The company oversees the IT and media division of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and is in charge of creating its election campaigns. Mr. Jain was in charge of the Trinamool Congress's IT cell, according to Ms. Banerjee. According to his LinkedIn page, Jain, an engineering graduate from IIT Bombay, started his career as an analyst at the consulting firm Deloitte. He was one of the first members of Citizens of Accountable Governance, which later evolved into I-PAC. Arvind Kejriwal, M.K. Stalin, Jaganmohan Reddy, Uddhav Thackeray, Rahul Gandhi, and Nitish Kumar are just a few of the prominent figures with whom the political consultancy firm has collaborated.…
Says ‘I-PAC Attack Feels Like Rebirth: West Bengal CM leads Kolkata rally against ED raids…
Legislative Assembly elections are expected to be held in Assam in March–April 2026 to elect 126 members of the Assam Legislative Assembly.…
Chief Minister Home Affairs General Administration Cabinet Secretariat Vigilance Election Other departments not allotted to…
The Parliament passed the Waqf (Alteration) Bill, 2024 in the early hours of Friday after the…
The Waqf Bill Was a topic of major debate in India, Creating discussions about property…