National Parties in India:

Why in News?

Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) Gets
Status a ‘National Party’ by the Election Commission of India.

On
April 10, 2023, the Election Commission of India withdrew the national party
status of:

Trinamool
Congress (TMC),

Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP) Nation and

the
Communist Party of India (CPI).

 

Election
Commission Decision Based On:

The
EC’s decision was based on a review of the parties’ poll performances- -the
2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and 21 state assembly polls since 2014.

 

AAP Performance:

The
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), founded in 2012. Besides Delhi, Goa and Punjab,
AAP became a state party in Gujarat after the 2022 Assembly elections where it
secured 12.92% of the votes. It was recognized as a national party in 2023 due
to its electoral performance in several states. 

 

India Now has Six
National Parties:

(1)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

(2)
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)

(3)
National People’s Party (NPP)

(4)
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)

(5)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)

(6)
Indian National Congress (INC)

 

Criteria for
recognition as a National Party:

As
per the ECI’s Political Parties and Election Symbols, 2019 handbook, a
political party would be considered a national party if it fulfils any one of
the below conditions:

 

1. If
   it has won at least 2% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha from not less than
   three states.
2. 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.
3. It
   is ‘recognised’ in four or more states as a state party (AAP fulfil this
   criteria).

 

History of National
Parties in India:

• In
  first general elections (1951-52), there were 14 national parties, including
  the Indian National Congress, the All-India Bharatiya Jan Sangh, and the
  Communist Party of India.
• After
  the first general elections, there were only four national parties: the
  Congress, the Praja Socialist Party, the Communist Party of India, and the Jana
  Sangh.
• The
  Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was founded in 1980, which become one of the major
  national parties in India.
• The
  Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) emerged as a national party in 1984, which was
  majorly for upliftment of marginalized communities.
• The
  Communist Party of India (Marxist) focuses on socialism, secularism, and
  democracy  to became a national party in
  1964.

 

Practice MCQ:

Que.
Consider the following Statements;

1.  India Now has Six National Parties.

2.
National Party recognised by Government of India.

Which
of the following statements is/are correct?

a)
1 Only

b)
2 Only

c)
Both 1 and 2

d)
None of these

Answer
(a)

 

Que.
Recently, the Election Commission of India withdrew the national party status
of:

a)
Communist Party of India (CPI)

b)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

c)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)

d)
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)

Answer
(a)