Gujarat,
Himachal crucial
The AAP has been working hard to get the status of a national party and gain more than 8% of valid votes polled in Gujarat and Himachal. It already has more than 8% votes in Delhi and Punjab.
Though it contested Assembly polls in Goa, Uttarakhand, UP too. But it missed the bus. It indeed got a shot in its arm when the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP secured a landslide win in Punjab. In order to be recognized as a national party, the AAP has to win either 2% of Lok Sabha seats (at least 11 seats) from three different states or should poll 6% of the valid votes in four or more states. In addition, it must win four Lok Sabha seats. Presently, the AAP is recognized as a state party in Delhi and Punjab. It suffered a serious setback in 2019 when the AAP failed to secure any Lok Sabha seat except one in Punjab. Even the lone Lok Sabha seat in Punjab lost in a by-election when Bhagwant Maan quit to become the Chief Minister.
Therefore,
the AAP may get recognition as a state party in four states at the moment if it
obtains 6% votes and at least two seats in the Assembly. Alternatively, it
should get 6% votes and at least one Lok Sabha seat in a state.
There is also a third option; it can get recognition if it gets at least 8% of the total valid votes in the state in an Assembly or Lok Sabha election. It is in this context that the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll outcome will be crucial as its symbol will be reserved nationally, and it will also get other benefits like getting an office space from the government at concessional rates. Currently, BJP, Congress, CPI, CPI-M, TMC, BSP NCP and NPP are recognized as national parties.
