Recently, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been recognised as a national party, while Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have lost their status as national party. These statuses are given by Election Commission of India, based on technical criteria given in Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
Criteria of being recognised as a National Party:
- If a party has been recognised in four or more states.
- The party must have polled at least 6 per cent vote share in four or more states in the last Lok Sabha or Assembly elections and having at least 4 MPs.
- The party must have polled at least 2 per cent of the seats in the Lok Sabha, with its candidates having been elected from at least three states.
The benefits of being recognised as a National Party:
- Once the party gets the national party status, the election symbol of the party will remain unchanged across India. Hence, the uniformity of the symbol, provides a greater vision and recognition across the states.
- The party also gets free broadcast/telecast times on Akashvani and Doordarshan during the general election. They can reach the general masses through these channels, free of cost.
- National Party can have a maximum of 40 star campaigners, whose travel expenses will not be counted in the account of the candidates. Star campaigners are the celebrity campaigners who endorse the party and have more vote-fetching ability, but should not share the stage with any candidate.
- These parties need only one proposer to file nomination. For an independent candidate, 10 proposers are required to sign the nomination paper.
- These parties get two sets of electoral roll free of cost at the time of the revision of rolls. Their candidates get one copy free of cost during the general elections.
- They get the privilege of consultation with Election Commission in setting of election dates.
- Top slots on the voting machine usually stay reserved for the national parties.
However, if the parties fall short of the votes for two consecutive elections, then they may lose their status. In past, RJD lost its status as national party by failing to get 6% vote share, by a very small margin.
