The Election Commission may take a major decision on April 11 regarding the national status of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Delhi and Punjab. In fact, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to pass an order before April 13 regarding granting national party status to the Aam Aadmi Party. Responding to the court’s direction, the representative of the Chief Election Commissioner said that a decision in this regard would be taken on April 11 itself.
AAP knocked on the door of the High Court
Let us tell you that earlier AAP had approached the Karnataka High Court over the “delay” in granting the party the status of ‘national party’. The petition was filed in the Karnataka High Court by AAP Karnataka unit convenor Prithvi Reddy. AAP has said in the petition that it fulfills all the conditions required to be given the status of a national party, but despite this there has been a delay in granting the status to the party.
What are the conditions for becoming a national party?
AAP also referred to section 6B of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 regarding the condition of recognition as a national party. In fact, a party has got at least 6% votes in the Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha elections in 4 different states and has secured at least 4 seats in the Lok Sabha or any party has the status of a state party in at least four or more states. If recognized, it gets the status of a national party. With this argument, the Aam Aadmi Party filed a petition in the court. As a rule, AAP fulfills the last of these conditions.
“The Election Commission didn’t listen, that’s why the court came”
The petitioner states that even after a reminder was given to the Commission on February 6, 2023, it has not been considered till date. Whereas, Aam Aadmi Party has the status of a state party in the states of NCT-Delhi, Punjab, Goa and Gujarat as per the data available from the election website. The Election Commission had almost more than three months to resolve the issue. Nevertheless, the Election Commission has chosen not to take the first decision. The petition states that under these circumstances, the petitioner is constrained to seek relief from the Hon’ble Court.
AAP will fight on all seats in Karnataka
Let us inform that assembly elections are to be held in Karnataka next month. Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal has announced to contest all 224 seats in Karnataka. On getting the status of a national party, it will be helpful in elections. Voting is on May 10 in Karnataka and the results will come on May 13. Actually any national party is allotted its special election symbol. The election symbol of a national party cannot be used by any other party throughout the country.
The AAP, which came into existence in 2012 after the Anna movement, got 6.8 per cent voter support in last year’s Goa assembly elections, 12.92 per cent in Gujarat. AAP has the strongest support base in Delhi. In the last eight years, AAP has been able to increase its mass base in four states. Due to which it got the status of state party.
What will be the advantages of the National Party?
If the Aam Aadmi Party gets the status of a national party, then its candidates in all the states will be able to use their ‘broom’ election symbol. Also, recognized ‘state and national’ parties require only one proposer to file nominations. Recognized ‘State’ and ‘National’ parties are given two sets of electoral rolls free of cost by the Election Commission (in case of revision of electoral rolls).
These parties get land or buildings from the government to set up their party offices. Also, state and national parties with national status can hire up to 40 star campaigners during election campaign while other parties can only hire ’20 star campaigners’. The travel expenses of their star campaigners are not included in the election expenses of their party candidates.
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