National Parties | Regional Parties |
Participate in elections all over India | Participate in elections within a state |
Must be strong in at least 4 states across India | Must be strong in one or two states |
They have an exclusive electoral symbol throughout the country | Their symbol is reserved only in the state they are recognised in |
They focus on national, regional and international issues. | They promote regional and state interests. |
Examples- Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress and Communist Party of India. | Examples- Rashtriya Lok Dal and Samajwadi Party. |