AAP Granted National Party Status by Election Commission of India

On Monday, the Election Commission of India granted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, national party status. This comes as the Nationalist Congress Party, led by Sharad Pawer, and the Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, were downgraded. The commission’s order stated that AAP received 12.92% of the vote in Gujarat’s general election for the legislative assembly, meeting the requirements to become a state party in Gujarat. AAP already holds state party status in Delhi, Goa, and Punjab. Being a national party comes with several benefits, such as a unified party emblem across all states, free advertising during elections on public broadcasters, and an office in New Delhi. Prior to the adjustment on Monday, there were eight national parties registered with the EC. NCP lost its standing as a national party, while TMC only continues to be a state party in Bengal and Tripura. AAP met the third criterion to become a national party under the Election Symbols Ordinance, 1968.