The Election Commission of India (ECI) has granted national party status to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) while taking away the status from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), and Communist Party of India (CPI). The ECI cited the reduction in the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and Assembly as the reason for the decision. According to the ECI, the AAP met the criteria of having a state presence in four or more states and securing at least 6% of the total votes in at least four states in the general election or the legislative assembly election. The NCP, TMC, and CPI failed to meet these criteria.
The AAP’s national party status gives it certain privileges such as the right to have a symbol reserved for it in all states, to contest elections with a common symbol, and to receive more funding from the Election Commission. AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called it a “historic moment” for the party and thanked the people of the country for their support.
The loss of national party status is a setback for both the TMC and NCP. The TMC, which holds power in the state of West Bengal, has said that it is exploring legal options over the ECI’s decision. TMC MP Derek O’Brien tweeted that the party will “do all it takes to protect the Bengal symbol and fight BJP’s attempt to use national institutions for their petty politics.” The NCP, which is headed by Sharad Pawar, has not yet issued a statement on the matter.
The decision to grant national party status to AAP and take it away from NCP, TMC, CPI has been met with mixed reactions. Some have criticized the ECI’s decision as being politically motivated, while others have praised it for being a genuine assessment of the parties’ performance. Political analysts have said that the decision may impact the upcoming elections in West Bengal, which are likely to be closely contested between the TMC and the BJP.
Overall, the decision by the ECI to grant national party status to AAP and take it away from NCP, TMC, and CPI is a significant one that will have implications for the political landscape of India. It remains to be seen how the affected parties will respond and whether they will take any legal action to contest the ECI’s decision.
