EC to now review national, State status of political parties every 10 years

Election Commission (EC) has amended rules, whereby it will now review the national and state party status of political parties every ten years instead of the present five.

• Recognition as a national or a State party ensures that the election symbol is not used by any other political entity in polls across India.

Details:

• The commission has amended paragraph 6C of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 to affect the change. It was last amended in 2011.
• This change in rules will ensure that ruling parties do not lose their status due to anti-incumbency factor after every election.
• However, the criteria of being recognised as a national and state party will remain unchanged.

To obtain a national status, political parties have to fulfil any of the three conditions:

• Winning 2% seats or 11 seats in the Lok Sabha from at least three different states in the latest general election.
• Recognition as a state party in at least four states.
• Polling 6% of the total valid votes in at least four states, in addition to winning four Lok Sabha seats.

A political party shall be treated as a recognised political party in a State, if and only if the political party fulfills any of the following conditions:

• At General Elections or Legislative Assembly elections, the party has won 3% of seats in the legislative assembly of the State (subject to a minimum of 3 seats).
• At a Lok Sabha General Elections, the party has won 1 Lok sabha seat for every 25 Lok Sabha seat allotted for the State.
• At a General Election to Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly , the party has polled minimum of 6% of votes in a State and in addition it has won 1 Lok Sabha or 2 Legislative Assembly seats.
• At a General Election to Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly, the party has polled 8% of votes in a State.

Benefits:

• If a party is recognised as a State Party’, it is entitled for exclusive allotment of its reserved symbol to the candidates set up by it in the State in which it is so recognised, and if a party is recognised as a `National Party’ it is entitled for exclusive allotment of its reserved symbol to the candidates set up by it throughout India.
• Recognised `State’ and `National’ parties need only one proposer for filing the nomination and are also entitled for two sets of electoral rolls free of cost at the time of revision of rolls and their candidates get one copy of electoral roll free of cost during General Elections.
• They also get broadcast/telecast facilities over Akashvani/Doordarshan during general elections.
• Political parties are entitled to nominate “Star Campaigners” during General Elections. A recognized National or State party can have a maximum of 40 “Star campaigners” and a registered un-recognised party can nominate a maximum of 20 ‘Star Campaigners”.
• The travel expenses of star campaigners are not to be accounted for in the election expense accounts of candidates of their party.