Mamata Banerjee was trying to make an impact in India’s national level politics. But instead of success came a big shock. Mamata’s party Trinamool Congress has been stripped of its national party status by the National Election Commission of India. At the same time, Sharad Pawar’s famous iron man of Maharashtra-based Maratha politics, NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) and leftist party CPI (Communist Party of India) no longer have status as all-India political parties.
However, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party has been declared a national party by the National Election Commission of India.
There are three conditions for becoming a national team. One of these must be filled. First, a party must field candidates in at least three states in the Lok Sabha elections. Along with that, you have to win 2 percent of the total Lok Sabha seats in the country. Secondly, in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, at least four states must get 6 percent votes. And four Lok Sabha seats must be won in one or more states. Third, state party status in four or more states. If any of the above three conditions are met, the title of the national team is met. None of which criteria could be met by Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress NCP or CPI. In July last year, the commission sent a letter to Trinamool Congress, NCP and CPI and said, why should not your status as a national party be taken away?
There was no satisfactory answer from the three parties. On the contrary, the Trinamool Congress appealed to the Election Commission not to reject the title of National Party. The Trinamool had requested the Election Commission not to take any action before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Opposition leader Subhendu Adhikari has written to the Election Commission demanding to take away the Trinamool National Party title. In the midst of these tensions, the High Court recently informed the Election Commission to announce a decision in this regard by April 13 in view of a case. As a result, the election commission announced the decision. Three teams lost the title of the national team.
The Trinamool Congress got the status of a national party in 2016 based on the results of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. After just seven years, Mamata’s party became a regional party again. On the other hand, Arvind Kejriwal was able to fulfill three of the three conditions by getting electoral success in Gujarat, Punjab and Uttarakhand besides Delhi.