Delhi Elections 2025: Will AAP lose its status as National Party after electoral defeat?

The party won just 22 seats in the Delhi elections, whereas the BJP, which returned to power after 27 years, claimed 48 seats

The Aam Aadmi Party's significant defeat in Delhi Assembly Elections is raising concerns about its position as a national party.

The party won just 22 seats in the Delhi elections, whereas the BJP, which returned to power after 27 years, claimed 48 seats.

Adding to the setback, several prominent leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, were defeated in their respective constituencies.

AAP was granted national party status in April 2023 after securing almost 13% of the vote share and winning five seats in the Gujarat Assembly elections that year. This also made it a recognized state party in Delhi, Goa, Punjab, and Gujarat.

In 2023, the EC had also stripped the Trinamool, NCP and CPI of the national party status.

India currently recognizes six national parties- AAP, Congress, BJP, Bahujan Samaj Party, CPI (Marxist), and the National People’s Party (NPP).

What does it mean to have a National Party status?

According to the election authorities, India's political parties are categorized as National Party, State Party, or Registered Party.

The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 outlines the criteria for a party to be recognized as either a national or state party.

To be designated as a national party, an organization must:

--Be recognized as a state party in at least four states.

--Win at least two percent of the seats in the Lok Sabha from at least three different states.

--Secure at least six percent of the total votes in the most recent Lok Sabha or Assembly elections.

--Win a minimum of four Lok Sabha seats.

Why does it matter to have National Party status?

Becoming a national party offers several advantages, including access to a reserved party symbol, dedicated broadcast slots, and office spaces.

One of the key benefits is having a unique symbol reserved for the party's candidates across the country.

According to India Today, national parties also receive two free sets of electoral rolls during the roll revision and one free electoral roll per candidate during general elections.

A national party can also appoint up to 40 "star campaigners" during general elections to help with campaigning efforts.

Furthermore, national parties are granted dedicated broadcast slots on public broadcasters like Doordarshan and All India Radio during general elections, allowing for wider reach.

Other benefits of being a national party include the provision of a government bungalow in New Delhi for the national president and office space in the capital at a subsidized rate.

How AAP become a national party?

On September 30, 2023, the Election Commission officially recognized AAP as a national party, based on its performance in Delhi, Goa, Punjab, and Gujarat, thus fulfilling the criteria for national recognition.

AAP's journey began when it first came to power in Delhi in 2013 and then again in 2015. In March 2022, the party expanded its reach by taking power in Punjab.

In the 2022 Goa Assembly elections, AAP secured 6.77% of the vote share.

By the end of 2022, with a growing presence in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the party was recognized as a state party in three states. It only needed to establish itself in one more state to achieve national status.

In Gujarat, the party received nearly 13% of the vote, more than double the required percentage, clearing the final hurdle.

As a result, in 2023, AAP was officially granted the status of a national party.

Will AAP now lose national party tag?

Despite AAP's recent loss in the Delhi Assembly Elections, the party continues to hold state party status in Goa, Delhi, Punjab, and Gujarat.

According to the Indian Express, AAP will retain its national party status as the party secured 43.6% of the vote share and won 22 seats, more than the two MLAs required to maintain its state party status.

As reported by Zee News, AAP also won three seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The party can rely on its past successes in Punjab, where Bhagwant Mann is the chief minister, as well as in Goa and Gujarat, to preserve its national party status for now. However, its position will only be at risk if its standing in these states declines by the time the Election Commission conducts its next review.

Has any party lost national status?

When EC granted AAP a national party status in 2023, it also stripped TMC, NCP and CPI of the national party status based on their poll performances in assembly polls and 2019 Lok Sabha poll.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) was granted national party status in 2016, however, a series of poor performances in northeastern states, including Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, led to the party losing this status.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, was recognized as a national party in 2000 after a series of electoral victories. The NCP was granted state party status in Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Nagaland. However, the Election Commission later found that the NCP no longer met the criteria in Meghalaya, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh. While the NCP retains state party recognition in Nagaland and Maharashtra, it no longer qualifies as a national party.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) was granted national party status in 1989. At one point, it was recognized as a state party in Kerala, Manipur, Odisha, and West Bengal. However, the CPI no longer holds state party status in Odisha and West Bengal, which disqualifies it from being considered a national party.

What does it mean to lose national party tag?

According to India Today, if a party loses its national party status, its election symbol will no longer appear at the top of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) or ballot papers.

Additionally, the party will not be invited to all-party meetings organized by the Election Commission. The party may also lose political funding and airtime allotted during elections. Furthermore, the number of star campaigners it can field during elections will be reduced.