New Delhi/IBNS: Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmit Party (AAP), which is currently in power in two states-Delhi and Punjab, was on Monday conferred the national party status.
Meanwhile, in a big setback, Sharad Pawars Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress have been downgraded to the status of a regional party.
The CPI too was assigned the regional party status.
For a political party to be recognised as a national party, it has to be a recognised state party in four or more states (or) 2% seats in Lok Sabha, as per rules.
When a party loses a national party status, the party will not get a common symbol for its candidates in states where its not recognised.
Following Mondays restructuring, six parties-Congress, BJP, CPM, Bahujan Samaj Party, National Peoples Party (NPP) and the Aam Aadmi Party- now have national party status.
Reacting to the development, AAP leader Raghav Chadha said: All of us at AAP are thrilled at this good news. I congratulate every single worker of AAP who worked tirelessly through the last decade to make AAP a success. Under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, AAP is Indias fastest-growing political start-up.
Despite all odds, despite every single trick in the book to eliminate AAP from the national political space, AAP is going strength-to-strength, he added.
