New Delhi: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party was on Monday granted ‘national party’ status by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
In the revised list, Mamata Banerjee-headed Trinamool Congress (TMC) and veteran politician Sharad Pawer-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have been downgraded to state parties.
“Review of the poll performance of AAP shows that in the general election to legislative assembly of Gujarat, AAP polled 12.92% of total vote. It has fulfilled the criteria of a state party in Gujarat… and is already a recognised state party in Delhi, Goa and Punjab,” ECI said in its order.
According to Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, a political party is recognised as a national party if it fulfils any of the following three conditions – i) it secures at least 6% of votes polled in four or more states in Lok Sabha or assembly elections, and, in addition, have at least four members in the Lok Sabha; ii) it has at least 2% of the total Lok Sabha seats and its candidates come from not less than three states; iii) it is recognised as a state party in at least four states.
AAP meets the third criteria.
Founded in 2012, AAP won the Punjab assembly elections early last year, and also got five seats in the Gujarat elections later.
There were 8 national parties registered with EC before Monday’s revision — Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, TMC, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist Party of India (CPI), CPI (Marxist), NCP and National People’s Party (NPP).
Now, there will be 7 following withdrawal of 2 and addition of 1.
Henceforth, TMC will retains state party status in Bengal and Tripura, while its national party status has been withdrawn. Mamata’s party is no longer a recognised state party in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
NCP lost its national party status as it no longer meets any of the above-mentioned criteria. Its state party status has been withdrawn in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya, but it has been recognised as a state party in Nagaland.
