New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Monday revised the list of national and state political parties for the first time since 2018, demoting and downgrading Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to national party status. . Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by veteran politician Sharad Pawar, Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Communist Party of India (CPI).
“A review of AAP’s election performance reveals that AAP got 12.92 per cent of the total votes polled in the General Election to the Gujarat Legislative Assembly,” the commission said in its order. “It has fulfilled the criteria of a state party in Gujarat … and is already a recognized state party in Delhi, Goa and Punjab.”
AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the EC’s decision was nothing short of a ‘miracle’ and credited the people for the recognition. “Many congratulations to all. Crores of people of the country have brought us here. People expect a lot from us. Today the public has given us such a big responsibility. I pray to God to bless us to fulfill this responsibility with utmost dedication.
National status gives a party several advantages such as a common party symbol in the states, free airtime during elections on public broadcasters, and space for a party office in New Delhi.
According to the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, a political party is recognized as a national party if it fulfills any one of the following three conditions: First, it is registered in four or more states Gets at least 6% of the vote. Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha elections, and in addition, the Lok Sabha consists of at least four members. Second, it has at least 2% of the total Lok Sabha seats and its candidates come from at least three states. Third, it is recognized as a state party in at least four states. AAP meets the third criteria.
The AAP, founded in 2012, won the Punjab assembly elections early last year and later won five seats in the Gujarat polls.
Prior to Monday’s change by the ECI, there were eight registered national parties: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, TMC, Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist); NCP; and the National People’s Party (NPP).
NCP lost its national party status as it no longer fulfills any of the three criteria; It is no longer a state party in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya, although it is now a state party in Nagaland.
A party is recognized as a state if it fulfills any one of the five conditions. One, it gets at least 6% of the votes and wins at least two seats in the assembly elections. Two, it should get at least 6% of the votes and at least one MP in the Lok Sabha. Three, it has at least 3% votes in the assembly or three MLAs, whichever is higher. Four, it has at least one Lok Sabha member for every 25 assembly members or any fraction thereof allotted to the state. Five, it has at least 8% of the total valid votes polled in the State in the last election to the Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly in the State.
NCP’s chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said they would approach the Election Commission to restore the party’s national status. “After carefully perusing all the questions raised by the Election Commission, we view the order as a setback. We will again approach the commission with a representation to restore our national status.”
Earlier there were 58 recognized state parties in the country.
TMC has lost its national party status due to similar reasons. It now has the status of a party in Bengal and Tripura. It is no longer a recognized state party in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
Reacting to the development, TMC’s Bengal unit vice-president Jai Prakash Majumdar said: “TMC has been achieving the status of a national party for quite some time now. ECI from time to time formulates criteria for classification of national parties, regional parties, registered parties etc. We have to see what exactly has changed. TMC presented its case in detail before the poll panel. Everyone knows how ECI has lost its neutrality. We have to investigate what actually happened and whether there was any influence of the ruling party.
The CPI lost its status as a national party and as a state party in West Bengal and Odisha. The party remains a state party in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Manipur. CPI national secretary Binoy Biswam told news agency PTI, “National recognition is certainly important from a technical point of view. The identity of the CPI lies in the hearts of the toiling masses. It is made of the blood, sweat and tears of those who fought. The party Will intensify its fight for democracy, secularism and socialism.
