EC grants national party status to AAP; Trinamool, NCP, CPI lose tag

The Election Commission on Monday recognised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a national party and withdrew the national party status of the All India Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI).

In an order issued on Monday, the Commission also revoked the state party status granted to RLD in Uttar Pradesh, BRS in Andhra Pradesh, PDA in Manipur, PMK in Puducherry, RSP in West Bengal and MPC in Mizoram.

The Commission said the AAP has been named as a national party based on its electoral performance in four states -- Delhi, Goa, Punjab and Gujarat.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party is in power in Delhi and Punjab.

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The poll panel said that the status of NCP, CPI and the Trinamool Congress as national political parties would be withdrawn.

The BJP, Congress, CPI(M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People's Party (NPP) and the AAP are now national parties.

The Commission said that NCP and Trinamool Congress will be recognised as state parties in Nagaland and Meghalaya respectively based on their performance in the recently concluded assembly elections.

It also granted "recognised state political party" status to the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in Nagaland, Voice of the People Party in Meghalaya and the Tipra Motha in Tripura.