The Election Commission recently held a meeting to review the national party status of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Trinamool Congress and Communist Party of India. The Commission heard the representations of these parties as per the clauses given.

What are the rules required to be a national party?

Let us tell you that for a party to be recognized as a state party in a state, it must get 6% of the valid votes polled in the state in the general election to the state assembly and at the same time it should win at least 10 votes in the same state assembly. At least 2 seats have to be won. Apart from this, it is mandatory for the party to get 6% of the total valid votes in the state in the general election to the Lok Sabha and win 1 seat in the Lok Sabha from the same state. Also for winning 3% of the seats in the Legislative Assembly in the General Election to the Legislative Assembly of the State concerned or 3 seats in the Legislative Assembly (whichever is higher) or in the General Election to the Lok Sabha from the concerned State for every 25 seats allotted to the State or any part thereof It is mandatory to win 1 seat in the Lok Sabha. Apart from this, if the party gets 8% of the total valid votes polled in the state in the general election to the Lok Sabha, then it becomes valid to get recognition as a national party.

These facilities are available after getting the status of national party

The national party status of these three political parties had previously come up for review after the 2019 general election. However, the commission decided to maintain status quo at that time in view of the upcoming state elections. National party recognition granted to parties by the Commission entitles them to certain privileges, such as allocation of symbols, state control, provision of time for political broadcasts on television and radio stations, and access to electoral lists .