AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.
(C) An alliance or front
When parties with different ideologies join hands before or after elections to form a government together, it is called an alliance or a front (e.g., NDA, UPA, Left Front in India).
The textbook explicitly states: "When several parties in a multi-party system join hands for the purpose of contesting elections and winning power, it is called an alliance or a front." A merger means parties combine permanently; a faction is a group within a party; a panel is unrelated to this concept. Examiners expect the correct term with a brief example for full marks.
Source: How many parties should we have?, Chapter 4