This is an age of power politics. People at the helm of affairs no longer want to be just dummies, mere titular heads or puppets, but saddled with enormous powers and wield it according to their whims and fancies. In India where the democratic polity is in practice, party system is in full flow and largely successful, but the party system has got its own merits and demerits.
India is a country with a multi-party system, where political parties with an all India base like Congress I, BJP, Communists Parties like CPI and CPI(M) and regional parties like Samata Party (SP),Bahujan Samajwadi Party,DMK, AIADMK,Telugudesam,Akalidal etc having influence only in their respective states.
Of the all India parties, Congress I and BJP are functioning more or less in the same style, whereas the Communist parties and Socialist parties function in a different style. While the Congress I and BJP are banking on the charisma of their leaders and believe in money power, the Communist parties does not believe in Charisma but in their party itself, which means their style of functioning is drastically different, believing in issue based politics and principle oriented. While in Congress I and BJP one can see party people scramble for power, using their influence, money power and in the process they even seek the help of heavy weights in their party, to press their case and even recommend them. Whereas, in Communist parties such pull and push is not tolerated and a person is chosen for a party post, purely based on his merit, his past record and other additional qualifications like his standing in the party, his capacity for organization and mobilization, his ability to speak and above all his character and discipline etc. It is the party which ultimately decide his eligibility for a party post or as a candidate for the election. No political pressure or any money power or any other extraneous influence will be tolerated and such moves will be viewed seriously by the party functionaries and even will be viewed as indiscipline.For example the nonagenarian Marxist leader, Mr.Jyotibasu, a few days ago in an interview given to the media, has openly recommended the case of Subash Chakravarthi, the West Bengal Revenue Minister, for appointment as a Central Committee member as well as to the State Secretariat of his party. But, Mr.Jyotibasu realizing his mistake that he should not have openly supported and recommended the case of Subash Chakravarthi for the appointment as a Central Committee member, felt sorry for his statement given to the media and even openly sought the apology from his party. He considered that his statement given to the media recommending the case of Subash Chakravarthi to the party post, as an act of indiscipline and so sought the apology from the party. But either in Congress I or BJP, or in other regional parties mentioned above such an act by a senior leader from the party will not be considered as indiscipline.