New Delhi [India], April 11 : In significant decisions that have ramifications for national polity, the Election Commission on Monday recognised Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a national party and withdrew this recognition from Nationalist Congress Party, CPI and Trinamool Congress.
While AAP leaders hailed the national party status, Trinamool Congress Saugata Roy said the party has fought many obstacles and "will overcome this too".
The EC decision came amid the campaign for Karnataka assembly polls and months before assembly polls in Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh due by the end of this year.
The loss of national party status is a setback for both NCP and Trinamool Congress. The ruling party in Bengal has clear national ambitions with party leaders apparently keen that party supremo Mamata Banerjee emerges as a prime ministerial candidate.
The decision will also have a bearing in terms of opposition efforts to forge a united front to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. While the decision has increased the political heft of AAP, it has seemingly affected NCP and Trinamool Congress in the perception battle. NCP chief Sharad Pawar is among the seniormost opposition leaders.
In other decisions, the Election Commission gave recognition to Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) as a state party in Nagaland and Tipra Motha Party was recognised as a state party in Tripura. Bharat Rashtra Samithi has been derecognised as a state party in Andhra Pradesh.
The poll panel also withdrew the state party status of Rashtriya Lok Dal in Uttar Pradesh and of Revolutionary Socialist Party in West Bengal.
The Voice of the People Party got recognition as a state party in Meghalaya.
Tipra Motha Party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Voice of the People Party got recognition as state parties based on their recent performance in the assembly polls earlier this year in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya respectively.
AAP rules Delhi and Punjab and it got national party status also based on its performance in Gujarat and Goa. It is a recognised state party in Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat and Goa.
AAP has been looking for a national footprint and has contested polls in several states.
AAP leaders including Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party congratulated party workers over the decision.
Kejriwal said the party's achievement in "such a short time" is "nothing less than a miracle".
He said that the people of the country have given them a huge responsibility.
"National party in such a short time? This is nothing less than a miracle. Many congratulations to all. Crores of people of the country have taken us here. People expect a lot from us. Today people have given us this huge responsibility. Lord, bless us to fulfill this responsibility well," Kejriwal said in a tweet.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said hard work of workers has paid off.
"Congratulations to the dreams of AAP team captain Arvind Kejriwal ji..Congratulations to the crores of team members..Hard work has paid off....Eyewitness of AAP's revolution... ," he said in a tweet.
Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said the achievement would not have been possible without people's support.
"It's a big thing for us. This wouldn't have been possible without people's support. People are with us. We want God to give strength to Arvind Kejriwal to keep on moving forward," he said.
The good news for AAP came at a time when the party has been battling crisis following arrest of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Msh Sisodia over alleged corruption. Another former party minister Satyendar Jain is facing money laundering cases.
AAP was founded in 2012 following India Against Corruption movement. While the party has done very well in Delhi assembly polls, it also won the MCD polls earlier this year. AAP formed the government in Punjab and made its debut in Gujarat assembly last year.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha said the party is India's fastest-growing political startup.
"Today AAP has been given the status of a national party. I would like to congratulate all AAP volunteers who worked tirelessly to take the party to this milestone.I salute Arvind Kejriwal's leadership. We're India's fastest-growing political startup," he said.
The national parties now include the Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Sources said Trinamool Congress is exploring legal options to challenge the Election Commission's decision to withdraw the national party status.
Saugata Roy said Trinamool Congress will continue with its work.
"Trinamool Congress has overcome many obstacles, we will overcome this too. We will continue to do what we have to do, it will not make any difference," Roy told .
Trinamool Congress, which rules West Bengal, could not attain much success in the elections to northeastern states held earlier this year.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari took a jibe on Trinamool Congress and asked when will it remove "All India" from its name All India Trinamool Congress.
"I sincerely thank Hon'ble Chief Election Commissioner of India Shri @rajivkumarec Ji (IAS) & @ECISVEEP for derecognising @AITCofficial as a National Party. I raised this issue after Tripura Elections as TMC failed to fulfill the criteria. When are you removing "AI" AITCofficial (All India Trinamool Congress)?" Adhikari asked in a tweet.
The Karnataka High Court had last week passed directions to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar to pass an order before April 13 regarding the national party status of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Responding to the court's direction, the CEC representative has confirmed the same will be done on April 11.
AAP had approached the Karnataka High Court pertaining to the "delay" in the party being granted the status of a 'national party'.The petition was filed in Karnataka HC by Prithvi Reddy, the convenor of the AAP Karnataka unit.
AAP stated in the petition that it fulfils all the conditions required to be designated as a national party, but despite that, there has been a delay in the party being granted the status.
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