Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday said the gamble of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contesting the Gujarat Assembly elections has paid dividends to the party to “gain the national party tag”. In a tweet, he said the AAP is set to become a national party because it fulfils the Election Commission’s criteria if a party wins two seats in the state and wins 6% vote share in at least four states.
Despite AAP’s sweeping mandate in the state elections in Delhi and Punjab, it could not claim the national status so far. However, AAP gets the national party tag to be in the company of eight other national parties. Kejriwal will use this to brag rights and flaunt this new branding in the future elections, though he does not have the resources or network like the BJP and the Congress and so it will be a limiting factor for AAP’s national ambitions.
Eight national parties recognised by the Election Commission are: All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (INC), Communist Party Of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), National People’s Party (NPP), and the National Congress Party (NCP).
The criteria for becoming a national party are:
1. Secure at least 6% of the valid vote in an Assembly or a Lok Sabha Elections in any four or more states and win at least four seats in a Lok Sabha Election from any state or states.
2. Win at least 2% of the total Lok Sabha seats in a Lok Sabha Election and these seats have to be won from at least three states.
Also Read:
