AAP becomes a national party

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• National Party
• News Summary

 

Why in News?

• The AAM Aadmi Party (AAP) won 5 seats in the Gujarat Assembly election and its vote share was almost 13%.
• This meant it was set to be recognized as a national party by the Election Commission of India.

 

What is a National Party?

• The name suggests that a national party would be one that has a presence ‘nationally’, as opposed to a regional party whose presence is restricted to only a particular state or region.
• National parties are usually India’s bigger parties, such as the Congress and BJP.
• However, some smaller parties, like the communist parties, are also recognized as national parties.
• 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.
• On the other hand, some parties, despite being dominant in a major state and having a major say in national affairs, remain regional parties.
  • Eg., DMK in Tamil Nadu, BJD in Odisha, YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh, RJD in Bihar, or TRS in Telangana.

 

What are the criteria for National Party and State Party?

• The ECI has laid down the technical criterion for a party to be recognized as a national party.
• A party may gain or lose national party status from time to time, depending on the fulfilment of these laid-down conditions.
• As per the ECI’s Political Parties and Election Symbols, 2019 handbook, a political party would be considered a national party if:
  • it is recognized as state party 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 recognized as a state party, a party needs any one of following conditions:
  • 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
  • at least 8% of the total valid votes in the last Assembly election or Lok Sabha election from the state.

 

What are the benefits of being recognized as National Party?

• Certain practical benefits flow from being recognized as a national party. These are:
  • Their election symbols are reserved for use by their candidates across the country;
  • They are eligible to get land in Delhi to build a party office;
  • They can have up to 40 star campaigners instead of the 20 that registered but not recognized parties are allowed.
    • A star campaigner is a popular vote seeker in an election for a party.
    • There is no law defining the star campaigner
    • They are nominated by the respective political parties and they follow guidelines issued by ECI under the Model Code of Conduct.
    • The expenditure on campaign and travel of star campaigners is not added to the candidate’s spending limit.

 

News Summary

AAP to get national party status

• The AAP is in power with big majorities — and very large vote shares — in Delhi and Punjab.
• In the Goa Assembly elections held in March, it received 6.77% of the vote.
• It secured almost 13% vote in recently held Gujarat election thereby fulfilling the criteria of being recognized as State party in at least four states.

Other national parties in India

• As of now, the ECI has recognized eight parties as national parties — BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), CPI, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP).
  • NPP was recognized in 2019.
• AAP will become the ninth party to be recognized as a national party.

 

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Q1) Who is the founder of the Indian National Congress?

Allan Octavian Hume was a British member of the Imperial Civil Service who founded the Indian National Congress along with Dadabhai Naoroji and Dinshaw Wacha.

 

Q2) How many national parties are there in India?

As of now, the ECI has recognized eight parties as national parties — BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), CPI, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP).

 

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