(i) The Indian National Congress is one of the oldest political parties in the world, and is India’s oldest political party. It is a party which is neither leftist nor rightist in its ideology.Its main aim is secularism, welfare of the weaker sections and minorities. It projects a vision of a politically united, economically prosperous, socially just and culturally harmonious India. Its six basic policies are social harmony, employment for the youth,rural development, economic resurgence, women’s employment, and equal opportunity. (ii) The Bahujan Samaj Party has its base in the state of Uttar Pradesh and substantial presence in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Punjab. It has formed government in Uttar Pradesh several times.