Will AAP lose national party status after its loss in Delhi elections?

Delhi Elections 2025: The Election Commission granted AAP national party status in 2023 after it secured more than 6 per cent vote in Gujarat, establishing it as a state party in four states

With the Delhi Assembly elections underway and BJP crossing the halfway mark as counting votes proceed, a key question has emerged about whether the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) could lose its national party status if it fails to form the government.

 

AAP’s national party status: How it was earned

On September 30, 2023, the Election Commission of India (ECI) granted national party status to the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP after securing nearly 13 per cent vote share and five seats in the 2023 Gujarat Assembly elections. This established AAP as a state party in Gujarat, alongside Delhi, Punjab, and Goa – meeting the requirement for national recognition.

At the same time, it withdrew the national party status from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Communist Party of India (CPI), and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), leaving only six national parties in the country:

1. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
2. Indian National Congress (Congress)
3. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
4. Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)
5. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
6. National People’s Party (NPP)

 

How can a party retain national status?

1. Performance in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections: At least 6 per cent of total valid votes in four or more states in Lok Sabha or state legislative assembly elections, and at least four Lok Sabha seats.
2. Representation in the Lok Sabha: At least 2 per cent of the total Lok Sabha seats, with members elected from at least three different states.
3. Recognition in multiple states: Recognised as a state party in at least four states.

 

What happens if AAP loses Delhi?

AAP’s national party status does not solely depend on Delhi. Even if it loses power in Delhi, it can retain its state party status in the national capital alongside Punjab, Goa, and Gujarat. 

However, if its performance declines in these states – for instance, if it fails to secure 6 per cent of votes or two seats in any of these four states – then it risks losing national status when the ECI conducts its next review.

 

Parties that lost national status

The ECI periodically reviews national party status after elections. For instance:

• NCP lost state party status in Goa, Manipur, and Meghalaya, leading to its national party status being revoked.
• TMC lost state recognition in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur and was downgraded.
• CPI lost recognition in West Bengal and Odisha.

 

In 2023, the ECI also revoked State party status for several parties, including:

• Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in Uttar Pradesh
• Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Andhra Pradesh
• People’s Democratic Alliance in Manipur

 

At the same time, parties like Tipra Motha (Tripura) and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (Nagaland) were granted state party status. Therefore, if AAP loses Delhi, it will not immediately lose its national party status. However, its future depends on its performance in elections across multiple states.