Ahead of 2024 polls, TMC, NCP, CPI lose national party status; here's what it means

The Election Commission on Monday recognised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a national party and withdrew the national party status of the All India Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI).

After the 2019 parliamentary polls, the EC had issued notices to TMC, CPI and NCP, asking why their status should not be downgraded based on the outcome of the general election. However, the process could not move forward due to the pandemic. In November last year, the poll panel revived the process. On 21 March, it had heard the response of the Nationalist Congress Party and the CPI.

On the other hand, the EC named AAP as a national party based on 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 EC's new list, India now has BJP, Congress, CPI(M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People's Party (NPP) and the AAP as national parties.

Why did TMC, NCP lose 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 unsuccessful attempts in 2001 and 2006, the party came to power by defeating the Left Front in 2011, riding the crest of massive public outrage against the communists. The party received the national party tag in 2016, but its dismal show in Goa and some northeastern states has led to withdrawal of the status. 

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

The CPI, founded in 1925, was recognised as a national party in 1989 but the tag was withdrawn following its dismal performance in West Bengal and Odisha elections. EC officials said parties can regain their national and state party status based on their performance in future electoral cycles as also the Lok Sabha elections due next year.

To earn a national party status, a political outfit needs to be recognised as state party in four states and have at least two members in the respective legislative assemblies, according to the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) order, 1968. 

And in order become eligible to be recognised as the state party, a political outfit has to win two seats and secures a minimum 6 percent votes in the state.

As per NDTV report, a party should also have a win in minimum of 2 percent of the total seats in the Lok Sabha. 

The party's candidates should have been elected from not less than three states

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

What next?

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

The Nationalist Congress Party on Monday said it would react to the Election Commission stripping the Sharad Pawar-led outfit of its 'national party' status after receiving the order in written form.

Other parties who were granted/withdrawn state party status

The Commission said that NCP and Trinamool Congress will be recognised as state parties in Nagaland and Meghalaya respectively based on their performance in the recently concluded assembly elections. In an order issued on Monday, the Commission also revoked 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 also granted "recognised state political party" status to the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in Nagaland, Voice of the People Party in Meghalaya and the Tipra Motha in Tripura.

(With inputs from agencies)