'Under review…': Election Commission on AAP's 'national party' status

Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party became eligible for 'national party' status after it won nearly 13 per cent of the votes in the Gujarat election.

Updated on: Mar 29, 2023, 13:14:11 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Aam Aadmi Party's status as a national-level political organisation is 'under review' by the Election Commission of India, CEC Rajiv Kumar said Wednesday after announcing the dates for the Karnataka Assembly election in May. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's AAP became eligible for 'national party' status last year after securing nearly 13 per cent of the votes in the Gujarat election.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (ANI Photo)

The ECI's announcement comes days after a Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate urged the top poll body to grant AAP 'national party' status.

Last year was a significant one in the AAP's electoral history - victory in Punjab meant the western state was the second to be ruled by the party, a statement win in the Delhi civic polls brought the Bharatiya Janata Party's 15-year reign to an end, and a surprisingly strong showing in Gujarat (prime minister Narendra Modi's home state) meant it could claim the coveted 'national party' tag.

The AAP won five seats on its Gujarat Assembly election debut; the BJP's landslide (156 seats) and the Congress' rout (17 seats) added further gloss.

"Today, the AAP has become a national party…. Results of the Gujarat election have come and the party has become a national party. 10 years ago AAP was a small party, now it has governments in two states and has become a national party," Arvind Kejriwal said December 8, later tweeting, "Congratulations to all workers of AAP and all countrymen on becoming a national party."

READ | AAP marks Gujarat debut with five wins; 'national party now': Kejriwal

The tag of a national-level party (there are only eight) is important for Kejriwal and the AAP as it plots a run at the BJP and Modi for the 2024 general election.

How to qualify as a 'national party'?

According to the ECI rule book, a political party can apply to be recognised as a national party if:

(1) It is 'recognised' in at least four states; or

(2) Polled at least six per cent of total votes in any four or more states in the previous Lok Sabha or assembly election, and sent at least four MPs to the Lok Sabha in the previous Lok Sabha election; or

READ | Gujarat Election 2022: AAP set to be a 'national party'. What this means

(3) It has won at least two per cent of total seats in the Lower House, from no less than three states

The AAP is, obviously, already a recognised state-level party in Delhi and Punjab, with elected governments in each and it inched past the 'polled at least six per cent of total votes' mark in Goa last year with 6.77 per cent of the votes.

Karnataka Assembly election

Meanwhile, the Election Commission also announced dates for the 2023 Karnataka election, listing May 10 for polling and May 13 for counting of votes.

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