CHAPTER-I INTRODUCTION The Regional Parties are not new to the Indian Politics. They have come into existence way back to 1916 with the rise of Justice Party in the then Madras state. Gradually these parties are playing a key role. They are emerging more powerful and grown up to dictating terms to the National Parties. There is a strong leadership who can put down the National Parties. Some regional parties even turned into national parties like Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajvadi Party (SP) and even Shiv Sena to some extent. The Telugu Desam Party and Shiv Sena have played very important role both at their respective states as well as at the centre. This study is a comparison between them. Many facts about their nature and style of functioning and performance also examined. Regionalism is a burning topic in India. The emergence of Regional Parties in various parts of the country has become common now a day. The regional parties in the states instigate the regional sentiments of the people. "'Using the regional sentiments is a weapon in the battle of power politics." The regional parties are weakening the National Parties and it has become difficult for them to form governments at the centre without the support of the regional parties, because they have become strong in certain sates. Since 1989 it has become common phenomenon to form coalition governments at the centre. Political analysts have come to conclusion that the days of single party forming the government at the Centre is over. Since very long time the National parties either had pre-poll alliances or post-poll alliances to come to power at the centre. The regionalism has become so complicated and has raised so many questions. What is regionalism: Region and regionalism are topics common to all the social Sciences. The term Regionalism has been derived from the word 'region". Region is a part of a country or a state or a province of a part of the country. "Region in the Social sciences, a cohesive area that is homogenous in selected defining criteria and is distinguished from neighboring areas or regions by those criteria. It is an intellectual construct created by the selection of features relevant". According to encyclopedia of Britannica, the concept of region is currently used on analysis, planning and administration of many national and international public programmes. Regional consciousness, the ideological correlate of the concept that develops from a sense of identity within the region, is important in many historical, political and social analyses. Regionalism in India is so complex. It has no particular line of path. Within a particular region there are sub regional demands for instance within a Uni-Lingual regions there are separatist movements in many states in India, for instance in Maharashtra there is a separate Vidharbha demand, in Andhara Pradesh the northern districts, erstwhile Nizams ruled Telugu speaking areas which are socially, economically, educationally backward demanding for separates since 1960's. At last they could achieve separate Telangana state on 02" June 2014. In the same way separate Sourashtra state demand in Gujarat, separate Bundelkhand, Poorvanchal states in Uttar Pradesh, Midhilanchal in Bhiar and Madhya Pradesh also such demands came up. The results of 2014 general elections to the Lok Sabha raised the eyebrows of the poUtical analysts. A single Party with absolute majority party formed the government at the centre. However BJP had a pre-poll alliance with many regional parties in various states in the country the Telugu Desam is one among them which had pre-poll alliance in Andhra Pradesh and in Telangana. The single largest part needs the support of the regional parties who have the numbers in the Lok Sabha in order to get bring some constitutional changes. The BJP as a single party allowe^^e*^* "^^ coalition at the centre even though it doesn't depend on the support of the regiaffad parties but to consolidate its position. Y^V Tlie role of regional parties in the management of national parties: the regional parties could control the governments at the centre when the national parties had less strength in the Lok Sabha. The chiefs of the regional parties could steer the Prime Minister in decision making. The Prime Minister had to dance to the tunes of the strong regional party leaders. They had to fulfill the whims and fancies or desires of the state parties which were in power. For instance Chandra Babu Naidu of TDP government got more funds and there allocations to Andhra Pradesh during the tenure of United Front government 1996 and BJP government in 1999 respectively. Jaya Lalitha of AIADMK too did the same. Karunanidhi of DMK and Mamata Benargy of Trinamul Congress could manage to satisfy their desires in getting funds allocation and allocation of big national projects and key posts like Railways etc. in the central cabinet as well as in the government. The Shiv Sena too made similar demands and could get speaker post in the Lok Sabha 2002. SCOPE OF RESEARCH & METHODOLOGY SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH The scope of research has been taken from 1980 to 2005. Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra states are chosen to conduct research where Telugu Desam Party and Shiv Sena are emerged as regional parties. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: 1. Investigate to bring out the roots of Regionalism in India and the causes and circumstances paved the way for the emergence of regional parties. 2. To find out what is the base or support for the rise of regional parties. 3. Whether thy have been changing their ideologies quite often from time to time? 4. To examine what are the policies and programs of TDP and Shiv Sena. 5. To find out why the regional parties give more importance for the subsidy schemes, rather than the constructive projects although there is resource crunch due to the implementation of welfare schemes. 6. What is the attitude of the regional parties towards the center? What exactly they expect from the center. Is it appropriate under the federal structure in order to maintain unity and integrity of the nation? 7. Examine the electoral performance of TDP, Shiv Sena in the Assembly and parliament elections. 8. To find out any danger posed by the regional parties for the national unity integrity and sovereignty. 9. To find out what is the role of regional parties in the national polities and coalition government? RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Primary source: This research project is carried out in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra with the help of personal interviews with the prominent leaders of the Telugu Desam Party and Shiv Sena from the grass root level to the top executives. Interviews also been conducted with the voters in politically important regions to get to know the opinions and voting behavior with structured questionnaire and random sampling method was adopted for interviews. Questions were open ended. Secondary Source: The literature, election manifestos, constitutions, Resolutions of the Telugu Desam and Shiv Sena parties, and periodicals. Journals, Magazines, Daily Newspapers, Reports of the Government Departments, Published Books etc., are the main sources of information. Sampling Method Sampling method was adapted to conduct interviews with voters as well as the office bearers of both the Parties in the states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh because of the area of research is very wide and as I had to visit Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra states which are geographically big states in India. A lot of physical energy patience, time and financial resources were used to conduct interviews. Random sampling method was also adopted because of the office bearers of the two Parties were not available readily on many occasions as I had to wait for days together for their appointment. I have randomly picked up some important and key leaders for interviews who ever were available at times in various distpicts in both Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh covering almost all the Districts. Steps in the Research Method 1. Interview Method - interviews are conducted with Voters of the Maharashtra state and Voters of the Andhra Pradesh state in all the regions. 2. Random Sample Method was adopted in choosing the voters. I have taken the samples with all groups of the voters like educated, unemployed, traders, private employees, house wives, small businessmen, daily waged laborers. Auto rickshaw drivers, agricultural farmers, and agricultural laborers. Teachers, Lecturers and Professors. Therefore all the communities of the society were touched and covered. Review of Literature The study of related literature is of Prime importance in any type of scientific research. This helps the researcher to know how much work has been done in the field related to the issue under investigation. From the perspective of the doctoral thesis the broader aim of review of related literature is to demonstrate one's command over the subject area, a professional grasp of knowledge and ability to emulate the present research as well as that of others. It will also allow the researcher to display the 'exercise' of independent critical power. It helps us to take up unfinished tasks and fulfill the gaps of the research. The present literature of review will not just attempt to illustrate the main areas of understanding; but should also point out current areas that are less will understand. The review will present an overview of the subject, its content in the wider research discipline. This will involve an evolution of both the quality of the arguments and the evidence that underpin current understanding. Such a critical evolution will provide an opportunity to make a novel contribution to the integration and understanding of research subject. Research can never be undertaken in isolation.