Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP received a major shot in the arm as the Election Commission (EC) on Monday recognised it as a national party.
On the other hand, Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) lost their national party status in the latest set of decisions by the poll panel.
In an order issued on Monday, the EC also revoked the State party status granted to Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in Uttar Pradesh, Bharat Rashtra Samiti in Andhra Pradesh, Pattali Makkal Katchi in Puducherry, Mizoram People’s Conference, People’s Democratic Alliance in Manipur and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) in West Bengal.
The EC had issued show-cause notices to the three parties in July 2019, asking them to explain why their national party status should not be revoked after their performance in the Lok Sabha elections that year.
Last week, the Karnataka High Court had directed the EC to pass appropriate orders regarding the national party status of AAP by April 13.
In its order, the EC said the AAP has been named as a national party based on its electoral performance in four States - Delhi, Goa, Punjab and Gujarat.
The Kejriwal-led party is in power in Delhi and Punjab.
“Review of poll performance of the AAP in the general election to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat, 2022 shows that the candidates set up by the party have polled 12.92 per cent of the valid votes polled in the said general election, and in addition, the party has won five out of the one hundred eighty-two seats in the Legislative Assembly.
It is seen from the above poll performance of the party that it has fulfilled the requirements for recognition as State party in the State of Gujarat, as laid down in Paragraph 6A(i) {6 per cent of total valid votes in Legislative Assembly and 2 seats in Legislative Assembly}, 6A(iii) {3 per cent of total seats in Legislative Assembly or at least 3 seats in the Legislative Assembly, whichever is more} and 6A(v) {8 per cent of total valid votes polled in Legislative Assembly in the State}.
“Thus, the party has become eligible for recognition as State party in the State of Gujarat. Accordingly, the Commission has recognised the party as State party in the State of Gujarat,” the EC said in the order.
Reacting to the order, Kejriwal said becoming a national party in such a short time is nothing less than a miracle.
“Many congratulations to everyone. Crores of people from the country have brought us here. People expect a lot from us. Today the public has given us this huge responsibility. I pray to the Lord, to bless us to fulfil this responsibility with full dedication,” Kejriwal tweeted.
The BJP, Congress, CPI(M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People’s Party (NPP) and the AAP are now national parties.
The EC said the status of NCP, CPI and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) as national political parties would be withdrawn.
While Sharad Pawar led NCP was recognised as a national party in 2000, the TMC was granted the status in 2016. NCP was also recognised as a state party in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
However, in its order, the EC said NCP did not fulfill the criteria of recognition in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, and Meghalaya during the general elections held in 2014 and 2019.
TMC is recognised as State party in Bengal (on basis of actual poll performance) and Tripura (deemed continuation up to 2024). It will also be recognised as a State party in Meghalaya henceforth on the basis of Meghalaya.
The Commission said the NCP and Trinamool Congress will be recognised as State parties in Nagaland and Meghalaya respectively based on their performance in the recently concluded assembly elections.
Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has been recognised as a State party in Nagaland. In Assembly election held earlier this year, Chirag’s party got 98,971 votes with 8.65 per cent vote share and won 2 seats. Tipra Motha Party, too, has been recognised as a state party in Tripura.
As per the EC’s order, KCR’s BRS (earlier Telangana Rashtra Samiti) has been derecognised as a State party in Andhra Pradesh.
The EC grants national party status to political parties based on certain criteria. The party must secure at least 6 per cent of the valid votes polled in any four or more states at a general election to the Lok Sabha or to the State Legislative Assembly.
The party must win at least 4 seats in the Lok Sabha from any State or States. The party must win at least 2 per cent of the seats in the Lok Sabha (i.e. a minimum of 11 seats) from at least three different States. The party should be recognised as a State party in at least four States.
The recognition gives a number of advantages like common party symbol across States, and free airtime during elections on public broadcasters, among others.
