The Election Commission on Monday recognised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a national party and withdrew the national party status of the All India Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI).
In an order issued on Monday, the Commission also revoked the state party status granted to RLD in Uttar Pradesh, BRS in Andhra Pradesh, PDA in Manipur, PMK in Puducherry, RSP in West Bengal and MPC in Mizoram.
The Commission said the AAP has been named as a national party based on its electoral performance in four states -- Delhi, Goa, Punjab and Gujarat.
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The Arvind Kejriwal-led party is in power in Delhi and Punjab.
The AAP, which won five seats and secured about 13 per cent vote share in Gujarat assembly polls held in December last year, was already recognised as a state party in Delhi, Goa and Punjab.
"Review of poll performance of the Aam Aadmi Party in the general election to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat, 2022 shows that the candidates set up by the party have polled 12.92 % 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,” the Election Commission noted in its order on Monday.
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“It is seen from the above poll performance of the party that it has fulfilled the requirements for recognition as a State Party in the State of Gujarat.... Thus, the party has become eligible for recognition as a State party in the State of Gujarat. Accordingly, the Commission has recognized the Party as the State Party in the State of Gujarat,” the poll panel said.
"The party is already a recognized state party in the States of Punjab, Goa and in NCT of Delhi.... After its recognition as State party in Gujarat, the party has become a recognized State party in four States i.e. Delhi, Punjab, Goa and Gujarat. Thus, the Party has fulfilled the eligibility condition for granting recognition as National Party,” the poll panel noted.
“Accordingly, the Commission has granted recognition to Aam Aadmi Party as a National Party with its reserved symbol 'Broom',” it added.
As news about the poll panel conferring national status to AAP came in, the party leaders began congratulating each other for the recognition.
The poll panel said that the status of NCP, CPI and the Trinamool Congress as national political parties would be withdrawn.
The BJP, Congress, CPI(M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People's Party (NPP) and the AAP are now national parties.
The Commission said that 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.
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It also granted "recognised state political party" status to the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in Nagaland, Voice of the People Party in Meghalaya and the Tipra Motha in Tripura.
What did Kejriwal say?
It is nothing less than a "miracle" for AAP to get the national party status in such a short time, its national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said after the Election Commission granted the recognition to it on Monday.
Kejriwal credited people for the recognition and sought blessings from God to enable his party fulfil their expectations.
Soon after the Election Commission's announcement, he tweeted in Hindi, "National party in such a short time? This is nothing less than a miracle. Many congratulations to all."
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"Crores of people of the country have brought us here. People expect a lot from us. Today people have given us a huge responsibility,” he said and sought blessings from God so the party fulfils this responsibility well.
Formed in November 2012, the Aam Aadmi Party has got national party status in just 10 years.
In a tweet in Hindi, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann congratulated Kejriwal and party members and "hard work has paid off...eyewitness to AAP's revolution...Bhagwant Mann."
Party sources said Kejriwal will visit the party office here on Tuesday to celebrate the feat with party leaders and workers. He will also address the nation on the occasion.
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TMC exploring legal options to challenge EC decision
After losing the national party status, the Trinamool Congress is exploring legal options to challenge the decision of the Election Commission, a party source said on Monday.
The EC withdrew the national party status of the TMC, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) earlier on Monday.
“The party is exploring legal options to challenge this decision by EC,” a TMC source said.
The Mamata Banerjee-led party did not issue any official reaction.
The opposition BJP mocked the TMC following the development.
"TMC lost the national party status & will be recognised as a regional party. Didi's aspiration to grow TMC find no place as people know TMC runs a most corrupt, full of appeasement & terror govt. Govt's fall is also certain as people of WB will not tolerate this govt for long," BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said in a tweet.
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In an order issued on Monday, the EC said that NCP and TMC will be recognised as state parties in Nagaland and Meghalaya respectively, based on their performance in the recently concluded assembly elections.
The TMC was formed on January 1, 1998, after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee left the Congress to form her own political party.
After two unsuccessful attempts in 2001 and 2006, the party came to power by defeating the Left Front in 2011, riding the crest of massive public outrage against the communists.
The party, in recent years, has tried to expand its footprint across the country to pose a direct challenge to the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, the efforts did not bear much fruit.
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The BJP, Congress, CPI(M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People's Party (NPP) and the AAP are now national parties.
When does a party get the tag of a National Party?
According to rules, a political organisation automatically becomes a national party once it is recognised as a state party in at least four states. To be recognised as a state party, a political party needs to win at least two seats and secure a minimum 6 per cent vote share in the assembly polls in the state concerned.
A national party tag allows an organisation to get a common poll symbol across the country, more star campaigners, free air time on national broadcasters for election campaigns and by convention office space in Delhi.
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(With PTI Inputs)
