New Delhi: The Election Commission on Monday, 10 April recognised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a national party and withdrew the national party status of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI).
In the order issued, as quoted by PTI, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, CPI(M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People's Party (NPP) and the AAP are now national parties.
The Election Commission said the AAP has been named as a national party based on its electoral performance in four states - Delhi, Goa, Punjab and Gujarat.
Party chief Arvind Kejriwal termed the development a "huge responsibility" and "nothing less than a miracle" as the AAP achieved the national party status in record time.
"National party in such a short time? This is nothing less than a miracle. Many congratulations to all. Crores of people of the country have taken us here. People expect a lot from us. Today people have given us this huge responsibility. Lord, bless us to fulfill this responsibility well," Mr Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool, in a big setback, have been downgraded to the status of regional parties. The CPI too was assigned the regional party status.
For a political party to be recognised as a national party, it has to be a recognised state party in four or more states (or) 2% seats in Lok Sabha, say rules.
Once a party loses a national party status, the party will not get common symbol for its candidates in states where it's not recognised.
For example, Trinamool candidates will not get its symbol for elections in Karnataka if it chooses to contest.
In the multi-party system that India enjoys, there are six national parties after today's restructuring - Congress, BJP, CPM, Bahujan Samaj Party, National People's Party (NPP) and the latest entrant, the Aam Aadmi Party.
