Rules for recognition as a national party
- April 14, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Rules for recognition as a national party
Subject : Polity
Section: elections
Concept :
- On April 10th, 2023, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was accorded the status of a national party by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
- However, other parties such as the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Communist Party of India (CPI), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have lost their national party status.
- The ECI also revoked the recognition of some parties as State parties.
What is a national party?
- A national party refers to such a political party that has a presence “nationally”, whereas the presence of regional parties is limited to a particular state or region.
- National parties are usually India’s bigger parties, such as the Congress and BJP and a certain stature is associated with being a national party.
- According to the Representation of People Act 1951, registered political parties can get recognition as “State” or “National” parties in the due course of time.
- At present, there are six parties in India with the status of a “national party” including the BJP, Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), CPI(M), National People’s Party (NPP) and the AAP.
Criteria to be recognised as a “national party”
- The ECI reviews the performance of recognised parties after every State Assembly election and general election to the Lok Sabha in order to accord the status of “State Party” or “National Party”.
- The rules for recognition as a national party are specified by the ECI in para 6B of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
- According to the order, a registered party will be eligible to be accorded national status if it manages to:
- Be recognised as a “State party” in four or more States; or
- Secure at least 6% of the total votes polled in any four States in the last Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, and in addition, has a minimum of four of its members elected to the Lok Sabha; or
- Wins at least 2% of seats in the Lok Sabha from not less than three States.
- The Symbols Order of 1968 was amended in 2016 to give parties one additional “pass over”.
- According to the amendment, which is in force since January 1, 2014, if a national or State party fails to meet the eligibility rules in the next general elections (i.e. 2014 Lok Sabha polls) or the Assembly election after the election in which it was recognised, the party shall remain to be recognised as a national or State party, i.e. it will not be stripped of its status.
- However, whether it will continue to be recognised after any subsequent election would again have to be determined by the eligibility criteria.
Criteria to be recognised as a “State party”
- A party has to secure at least 6% of the valid votes polled and two seats in Assembly polls or one in Lok Sabha polls; or
- At a General Election or Legislative Assembly election, the party must have won at least 3% of the seats in the legislative assembly of the State (subject to a minimum of 3 seats); or
- At a Lok Sabha General Elections, the party must have won at least one Lok Sabha seat for every 25 Lok Sabha seats allotted for the State; or
- At a General Election to the Lok Sabha or the Legislative Assembly, the party must have at least 8% of the total valid votes polled.