This book, the sixth in the series of essential readings on Indian government and politics, focuses on the political parties of India. It introduces the reader to the extensive and varied landscape of political parties in India by bringing together classic articles on national and regional organizations and the politics they represent. India's Political Parties covers an exceptionally wide terrain ranging from individual parties, to the development of nationalism and communalism and to more current issues like state funding of elections and women's representation. Bringing together seminal contributions from academics as well as active politicians, this volume: * introduces the idea of 'party-less' democracy, even as it examines the party system in India, its evolving character and its changing stages at the national level; * examines the policy options available for election finance reform in India; * brings together published articles on traditional topics (like the Congress system) as well as commissioned essays where gaps exist (like on the Communist parties).