DNA Explainer: Despite losing Himachal and Gujarat elections, how AAP has claimed 'national party' status

The results of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and six bypolls were released on December 8, and both Congress and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) ended up winning one state each, leaving the Aam Aadmi Party with just a little over six percent seats.

The Aam Aadmi Party got no seats in Himachal Pradesh and got 5 total seats in Gujarat after the final result, with the Arvind Kejriwal-led party getting over six percent vote share in both states. Not only this, but AAP ended up emerging victorious in the Delhi MCD elections 2022.

Despite suffering a major loss in both Himachal and Gujarat elections, there were major celebrations in the Aam Aadmi Party headquarters on Thursday night, only for one reason – the vote share in the elections made AAP a national party.

Why ‘national party’ status has been given AAP

AAP was leading on five seats in Gujarat, with its final vote share in the state assembly elections closing in at around 13 percent. This means that the Election Commission of India (ECI) will be granted national party status to AAP soon.

A national party, as the name suggests, is defined as a political party that has a national presence, and is not just restricted to the presence in one state. The Election Commission has set specific rules for how the national party status can be given to a political party.

According to the ECI, a party can be given the national tag if they are ‘recognised’ in four or more states. For official recognition in a specific state, the party needs to have over six percent vote share during the assembly elections.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is on track to be declared as a national party soon since it gathered over six percent vote share in Gujarat elections 2022 this year. Before this, AAP was able to cross the 6 percent mark in Goa and formed the state government in Delhi and Punjab.

Till now, there are only eight national parties recognized in India by the Election Commission, including the two biggest parties – Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).

AAP’s claims of winning the Gujarat elections failed miserably, but the party ended up leaving a mark with a 13 percent vote share, meaning that by the next elections, it can be declared as the major opposition of the ruling BJP in the state.

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