Ahead of 2024 elections, TMC, NCP, CPI lose national party status; What does it mean

After 2019 parliamentary electionsThe Election Commission had issued notices to TMC, CPI and NCP asking why their status should not be downgraded based on the results of the general election. However, the process could not proceed due to the pandemic. In November last year, the poll panel restarted the process. On March 21, it heard the response of the Nationalist Congress Party and the CPI.

On the other hand, the Election Commission designated AAP as a national party on the basis of its electoral performance in four states – Delhi, Goa, Punjab and Gujarat. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party is in power in Delhi and Punjab.

After the new list by the Election Commission, India now has BJP, Congress, CPI (M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People’s Party (NPP) and AAP as national parties.

Why did TMC, NCP lose their national party status?

The TMC was formed on January 1, 1998, after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee left the Congress to form her own political party. After two failed attempts in 2001 and 2006, the party came to power in 2011, defeating the Left Front, riding a massive public outcry against the Communists. The party got the tag of a national party in 2016, but the status was withdrawn due to its dismal performance in Goa and some northeastern states.

The NCP was formed in 1999 by Sharad Pawar, another former Congress leader, and became a national party in 2000 after its success in various elections. The NCP lost its state party status in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya as per the order of the Election Commission.

The CPI, founded in 1925, was recognized as a national party in 1989, but the tag was withdrawn after its dismal performance in the West Bengal and Odisha elections. Election Commission officials said parties could regain their national and state party status on the basis of their performance in future election cycles and the Lok Sabha polls next year.

According to the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, to acquire the status of a national party, a political organization must be recognized as a state party in four states and have at least two members in the respective legislative assemblies. Needed

And to be eligible to be recognized as a state party, a political party must win two seats and secure a minimum of 6 percent of the vote in the state.

A party must also win at least 2 percent of the total seats in the Lok Sabha, reports NDTV.

Party candidates should have been elected from at least three states

When a national party status is achieved, a party has several advantages such as the common party symbol in the states, free airtime during elections on public broadcasters, space for a party office in New Delhi, etc. A recognized national party can contest all Lok Sabha seats. The seats of assembly and assembly on its symbol. It also gets to field more star campaigners for the election campaign.

what next?

A party source said that after losing the status of a national party, TMC is exploring legal options to challenge the decision of the Election Commission.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday said it would respond to the Election Commission withdrawing the Sharad Pawar-led outfit’s ‘national party’ status after receiving a written order from it.

Other parties which were given/withdrawn state party status

The commission said that NCP and Trinamool Congress will be recognized as state parties in Nagaland and Meghalaya respectively on the basis of their performance in the recently concluded assembly elections. In an order issued on Monday, the commission also canceled the state party status granted to RLD in Uttar Pradesh, BRS in Andhra Pradesh, PDA in Manipur, PMK in Puducherry, RSP in West Bengal and MPC in Mizoram. It granted the status of “recognised state political party” to Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in Nagaland, Voice of the People Party in Meghalaya and Tipra Motha in Tripura.

(with inputs from agencies)