ssemblies;
members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha
(545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the
president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May
2004 (next to be held 2009)
election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - INC 145, BJP 138, CPI(M) 43, SP 36, RJD 24,
BSP 19, DMK 16, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 9, JDU 8, SAD 8, PMK 6,
TDP 5, TRS 5, JMM 5, LJSP 4, MDMK 4, independents 5, other 30

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president and remain in
office until they reach the age of 65)

Political parties and leaders:
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [C. Jayalalitha
JAYARAM]; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB, [Debabrata BISWAS]; Asom
Gana Parishad [Brindaban GOSWAMI]; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP
[MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Lal Krishna ADVANI]; Biju
Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI
[Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India (Marxist) or
CPI (M) Hakishan Singh SURJEET]; Congress (I) Party [Sonia GANDHI];
Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK (a regional party in Tamil Nadu)
[M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI];
Indian National League [Suliaman SAITH]; Janata Dal (Secular) [H. D.
Deve GOWDA]; Janata Dal (United) or JDU [Sharad YADAV]; Jharkhand
Mukti Morcha or JMM [leader NA]; Kerala Congress (Mani faction) [K.
M. MANI]; Lok Jan Shakti Party or LJSP [leader NA]; Marumalarchi
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKO]; Muslim League [G. M.
BANATWALA]; Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR];
Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [leader NA]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or
RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Revolutionary Socialist Party or RSP
[Abani ROY]; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani
Akali Dal or SAD [G. S. TOHRA]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY];
Tamil Maanila Congress [G. K. VASAN]; Telangana Rashtra Samithi or
TRS [leader NA]; Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU];
Trinamool Congress [Mamata BANERJEE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations,
including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater
communal and/or regional autonomy, including the