The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has won the assembly elections in Punjab, needs to do well in the next two assembly elections, which will be held later this year or early next year, to become a contender for national party status.
Referring to the provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, a former Election Commission official said that to automatically become a national party, a party needs to become a regional party in four states. The Aam Aadmi Party is already a regional party in Delhi and Punjab. She is in power in Delhi while she is going to come to power there after a splendid performance in Punjab elections.
Referring to the provisions of the order, the former commission official said that for a party to get the status of a regional party, eight per cent votes are required. “There are various options,” he said. If a party gets six percent votes and two seats in the assembly elections, then it gets the status of a regional party. Another option to get regional party status is to get at least three seats in the assembly, irrespective of vote share.
He said, “There are provisions in terms of performance in the Lok Sabha elections also but they are due in 2024.”
The term of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly is till January 8, 2023, while the term of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly will end on February 18 next year. Both these elections could be held later this year or early 2023. AAP is working hard to prepare its ground for elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
According to the Election Commission, at present there are eight national parties- Trinamool Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India Marxist, Indian National Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and National People’s Party.