How Political parties achieved ‘national party’ status in India?

Indian Polity Political Parties and Pressure Groups

12-Dec-22

Context: Despite suffering a major loss in both Himachal and Gujarat elections, there were major celebrations in the Aam Aadmi Party headquarters, only for one reason – the vote share in the elections made AAP a national party.

The ECI has laid down the technical criterion for a party to be recognised as a national party. A party may gain or lose national party status from time to time.
As of now, the ECI has recognised eight parties as national parties — the BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), CPI, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and National People’s Party(NPP) which was recognised in 2019.

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 recognised 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.

As per the ECI’s Political Parties and Election Symbols, 2019 handbook, a political party would be considered a national party if:

it is ‘recognised’ 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 recognised as a state party, a party needs:

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
have at least 8% of the total valid votes in the last Assembly election or Lok Sabha election from the state.