The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) recently gained recognition as the 9th National Party of India. This occurred following the Gujarat elections, where the AAP garnered almost 13% of the vote share. Alongside this achievement, it’s noteworthy to comprehend the defining factors and processes that denote a political party as “national” or “state.” The journey from an unrecognised registered party to a recognised national or state party follows specific procedures governed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Representation of People Act 1951.
Political Parties and Their Recognition in India
Initially, the ECI registers political parties for election purposes. These parties are then recognized as national or state entities based on their electoral performance. Parties not fulfilling the recognition criteria are considered registered-unrecognized parties. According to the Representation of People Act 1951, these unrecognized registered parties can gradually earn ‘State Party’ or ‘National Party’ recognition over time.
Criteria for Recognising a National Party
Contrary to regional parties with limits to specific states or regions, a national party signifies a nationwide presence. However, being a national party does not ensure considerable national political influence. A national party under the ECI is defined following three conditions:
1. If it’s recognised in four or more states.
2. If its candidates secure at least 6% of the total valid votes in at least four states during the latest Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, and the party has a minimum of four MPs from the most recent LS polls.
3. If the party secures at least 2% of the total LS seats from at least three states.
Process of Declaring a State Party
A political party is recognized as a state party if it fulfills any of these conditions:
1. If the party secures 6% of the valid votes in the state during a general election to the respective state legislative assembly and also wins two seats from the same assembly.
2. If the party secures 6% of the total valid votes during the Lok Sabha general election in the state and also wins one LS seat.
3. If the party wins 3% of seats or three seats (whichever is more) in the legislative assembly during a general election in the state.
4. If the party wins one LS seat for every 25 seats or fraction thereof allotted to the state during a general LS election.
5. If the party secures 8% of the total valid votes during a general LS or State LA election.
The Significance of National/State Party Recognition
Both national and state recognised parties are entitled to privileges like exclusive party symbol allocation, access to electoral rolls, broadcast time on state-owned television and radio stations for political purposes. They are authorized to have 40 “star campaigners” during elections, while the unrecognized registered parties can have 20 “star campaigners”. The symbols allotted to national parties are exclusively reserved for their use throughout the country, including states where they don’t participate in elections. For state parties, the allotted symbol is reserved for use within the states where the parties are recognized.
