Bsp Gets National Party Status, Janata Party Derecognised

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was yesterday recognised as a national party by the Election Commission which derecognised the Janata Party and the All-Indira Congress Committee (Tiwari) at the national level.

The commission held that the BSP, which was a recognised political party in Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir has fulfilled the requirement to become a national party.

The party would continue to have the symbol elephant for its exclusive use in all states and Union territories except Assam, Sikkim and Pondicherry where the symbol has been allotted to Asom Gana Parishad, Sikkim Sangram Parishad and Pattali Makkal Katchi, respectively.

On Subramanian Swamys Janata Party, the commission said henceforth, it would be recognised as a state-level party only in Arunachal Pradesh, where it will retain haldhar within wheel (chakra haldhar) symbol, the EC said in a press note.

The party has lost its recognition and therefore ceases to be a national party henceforth, a two-member bench comprising chief election commissioner MS Gill and election commissioner JM Lyngdoh said in the order passed under the Election Symbols Order, 1968.

On All-Indira Congress Committee (Tiwari), which had merged with the Indian National Congress, the commission said the party had lost its recognition as a national party and would be recognised as a state party only in Rajasthan.

Two party groups, led by Jageshwar Nath and Prabhat Kumar Singh, had claimed that the party had not merged with the Indian National Congress and only some office bearers like ND Tiwari, Arjun Singh and PR Kumarmangalam had joined the Congress.

The commission recognised the group led by Jageshwar Nath as the All-Indira Congress Committee (Tiwari), but directed it to modify the name by deleting the suffix Tiwari since ND Tiwari had already left the party.

The party was given one month time to report back to the commission and six months time to hold its organisation polls.

The commission also derecognised Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference, Indira Congress (Socialist) in Kerala and Manipur and Marumelarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) in Tamil Nadu as state parties.

The Pattali Makkal Katchi lost recognition as a state party in Tamil Nadu and would be recognised as such only in Pondicherry with the symbol of elephant.

The Arunachal Congress, a registered party in the state, has been recognised as a state party.