Recognition of National or State Party

In Context

• Recently, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is on track to be recognised as a national party by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

More about the National Parties 

• About:
  • The name suggests that a national party would be the one that has a presence ‘nationally’, as opposed to a regional party whose presence is restricted to only a particular state or region.
  • A certain stature is sometimes associated with being a national party, but this does not necessarily translate into having a lot of national political clout.
• Criteria for recognition as a National Party:
  • Authority & fulfillment:
    • The ECI has laid down the technical criterion for a party to be recognised as a national party. 
    • A party may gain or lose national party status from time to time, depending on the fulfillment of these laid-down conditions.
  • A political party would be considered a national party if:
    • It is ‘recognised’ in four or more states; or
    • If its candidates polled at least 6% of total valid votes in any four or more states in the last Lok Sabha or Assembly elections and has at least four MPs in the last Lok Sabha polls; or
    • If it has won at least 2% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha from not less than three states.
  • To be recognised as a state party, a party needs:
    • At least 6% vote-share in the last Assembly election and have at least 2 MLAs; or
    • have 6% vote-share in the last Lok Sabha elections from that state and at least one MP from that state; or
    • At least 3% of the total number of seats or three seats, whichever is more, in the last Assembly elections; or
    • At least one MP for every 25 members or any fraction allotted to the state in the Lok Sabha; or
    • Have at least 8% of the total valid votes in the last Assembly election or Lok Sabha election from the state.

AAP’s current position:

• The AAP is in power with big majorities and very large vote shares 
  • In Delhi and Punjab. And in the Goa Assembly elections held in March, it received 6.77% of the vote.
• This meant that going into the Gujarat-Himachal elections, the party already fulfilled the criteria for recognition as a state party in three states.
• It now required 6% of the vote in the Assembly elections in either Himachal or Gujarat to be recognised in a fourth state — which would qualify it for recognition as a national party.