National Party recognition to AAP: Karnataka HC directs ECI to take measures before April 13

Hours later, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that getting the status of a national party will boost the party in the upcoming state elections in Karnataka.

The AAP has announced that it wants to contest the Karnataka Assembly election.

The petition, filed by AAP Karnataka convenor Prithvi Reddy, states that the party fulfills all the criteria to become a national party, but that has been denied by the poll panel.

According to ECI guidelines, a party can be recognised as a national party if it secures at least 6 per cent of valid votes polled in four or more states in a general election or Assembly election and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha from any state or states; or if it wins at least 2 per cent of the total Lok Sabha seats in a general election from at least three different states; or if it is recognised as a state party in at least four states.

The petition said that AAP meets all the requirements keeping in mind its performance in the last elections held in Delhi, Punjab, Goa and Gujarat.

“We have governments in two states. In one state, we have 14 per cent votes and 5 MLAs, and in another state, we have 6.5 per cent votes and 2 MLAs. Despite this, the EC has not given us the status of the national party. What is the pressure on EC?” Singh asked.

The petition alleged that the ECI has been delaying the recognition despite repeated requests and representations from the party.

The AAP, however, expressed its frustration with the delay. Speaking to The Indian Express, Reddy said that he was shocked that the ECI was yet to recognise AAP as national party despite meeting all the criteria.

“The opposition is concerned as the party’s name and symbol will reflect first on the EVM machine. There has been an unexplained delay,” he added.

Last week, while announcing the dates for the Karnataka election, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the AAP’s status as a national-level political organisation is “under review”.

For the first time, the AAP will contest on all 224 Assembly seats of Karnataka, and has already announced 140 candidates. Of the 29 seats, the party had contested in the last Assembly elections, 18 were in Bengaluru and 11 in the other parts of the state. AAP candidates had forfeited their deposits everywhere.

Karnataka will go to polls on May 10, and the counting of the votes will be done on May 13.