Lok Sabha elections 2024: Shiv Sena, NCP strike hard bargain to retain state party status, BJP likely to accede to request

In June 2022, Eknath Shinde led a revolt that split the Shiv Sena. With 40 MLAs out of the 56 in the undivided Sena on his side, he joined hands with the BJP to form the government in Maharashtra. The Election Commission of India later awarded the Shinde group both the party name and the symbol ‘bow and arrow’.

While CM Shinde may have won the first two rounds by getting his name and symbol recognised by the ECI and Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar pronouncing his faction as the “real Shiv Sena,” his electoral strength as leader and vote bank will be put to the test in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Similarly, after the NCP split, the ECI awarded the original party name NCP and symbol ‘clock’ to Ajit the Pawar faction.

As per the election commission norms, to get the state party status, a party has to fulfil any one of these conditions:

• A party should secure at least six per cent of valid votes polled in an Assembly poll and win at least two seats.
• A party should secure at least six per cent of valid votes in the Lok Sabha poll and win at least one seat.
• A party should win at least three per cent of the total number of seats or any fraction thereof allotted to that state.
• It will be eligible for recognition as a state party if it secures eight per cent or more of the total valid votes polled in the state.

Sources said Shinde’s anxiety about proving his state party status has been weighing on his mind. He has conveyed his concerns to the top BJP leadership and sought its help. Shinde has indicated that Shiv Sena should get at least 13 to 14 seats to accomplish the target of votes and seats or both. Fulfilling the criteria necessary for retaining state party status will be daunting without adequate seats.

There are 57 recognised state parties in India. In Maharashtra, the list consists of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Samajwadi Party (SP), Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT).

The parties with national status are the Congress, the BJP, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People’s Party and CPI(M).

The BJP poll strategists were candid in admitting that when “Operation Lotus” led to the split in Shiv Sena and the NCP, they prioritised ensuring the BJP-led coalition returned to power. They did so by weakening the Opposition through a split in their parties. However, as the biggest alliance partner, many feel it has to look after the interests of its allies.