About:
- 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.
Criteria:
- 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, depending on the fulfilment of these laid-down conditions.
- 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.
What are the other national parties?
- 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 Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP), which was recognised in 2019.
