Criteria For National Party in India

The Election Commission of India decides if a political party qualifies to be declared as a National Party or State Party. The criteria which are required to be fulfilled by a political party to be declared as a National Party in India are mentioned in the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. At present there are seven National Parties in India - Congress, BJP, BSP, CPI, CPI(M), NCP and Trinamool Congress(TMC) being the latest addition in the list. The Election Commission of  India reviews the status of being a National Party or State Party every ten years as per clause 6C of Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. The National Party status offers several advantages to the political party such as it grants exclusive right on party's election symbol across India, National Party can have upto 40 star campaigners and the party can get land or buildings from the government to set up their party offices.

National Party in India

1) As mentioned in the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, the Election Commission of India sets the criteria which needs to be fulfilled by a political party to get the status of a National Party.

2) Criteria to qualify for National Party:

The following criteria need to be fulfilled by the political party to qualify for being a National Party in India:

a) The Party has to win at least 2% of total seats in Lok Sabha (i.e. minimum 11 seats) from at least 3 different states.

OR

b) In General election or Lok Sabha election or Assembly election, the party should get at least 6% valid votes in 4 different states in addition to 4 Lok Sabha seats.

OR

c) The party should be recognized as a State party in 4 or more states.

3) How many National Parties are there in India?

There are 7 National parties in India:

i) Congress

ii) Bhartiya Janta Party

iii) Bahujan Samajwadi Party

iv) CPI

v) CPI(M)

vi) NCP

vii) Trinamool Congress

Note: 

Trinamool Congress has fulfilled one of the criteria to get the status of National Party by getting recognized as a State party in four states namely West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. Trinamool Congress(TMC) is the latest addition to the list of National Parties in India.

4) What are the advantages of being a National Party?

a) The recognition as a national or a state party ensures that the election symbol of that party is not used by any other political entity in polls across India.

Other registered but unrecognized political parties have to choose from a pool of "free symbols" announced by the commission from time to time.

b) The National Parties get land or buildings from the government to set up their party offices.

c) The National Parties can have up to 40 'star campaigners' during electioneering. Others can have up to 20 's.

5) How often the status of being a National Party reviewed?

The Election Commission of India has made changes in clause 6C of Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 in August 2016, to review the status of political parties - both National and State party, every 10 years.

Thus, the Poll panel will review national and state party status of political parties every 10 years instead of 5 years.

For example: The status of a political party that did not perform well and did not fulfill the criteria for being a National Party in 2014 elections will be reviewed in 2024 elections.

Note:

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