ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to emphasize the role of political parties as agents of collective action and democracy promotion in the Asian region. Political parties are primarily acknowledged to have an essential role in democratic consolidation. The role of political parties in enhancing democracy may vary significantly from one country to another. It is also important to note that the initial conditions that birthed Asian political parties differ from their Western counterparts. Colonialism played a significant role in shaping political parties in South Asia. It is commonly viewed that India’s founding party—the Congress Party—mobilized nationalism to attract active and direct support across class lines in response to the historically unique imperatives of colonial rule. Aside from the institutional footprints of a colonial and authoritarian past, different levels of democratization and political party institutionalization were shaped not only by economic development and class configurations but also by cultural and ideational factors.
