Elections FAQs: What's the difference between national and state party?

The election battle is heating up in the four states and one union territory, which are scheduled to go to polls in less than a month’s time.

Alliances are being forged between national and regional parties and seat-sharing formulae are being worked upon with the end goal of maximising the victory chances.

During the Assembly elections, regional parties get to take the centre stage, giving them considerable clout. But how are national and regional or state parties fundamentally different?

Registered political parties get recognition as state or national parties after they’ve fulfilled the conditions set by the Election Commission in the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

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As on 2019, India had seven national parties (All India Trinamool Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress and Nationalist Congress Party) and over 60 regional parties. In addition to that, there are over 2,000 registered but unrecognised parties in the country.

A party would be recognised as a state party only if:

• It has won 3 per cent of seats in the Legislative Assembly of the state (subject to a minimum of 3 seats) during general elections or Legislative Assembly elections.
• It has won 1 Lok Sabha seat for every 25 Lok Sabha seats allotted for the state during Lok Sabha general elections.
• It has polled a minimum of 6 per cent of votes in a state in addition to winning 1 Lok Sabha or 2 Legislative Assembly seats at a general election to Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly.
• It has polled 8 per cent of votes in a state at a general election to Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly.

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A party would be recognised as a national party only if:

• It has won 2 per cent of seats in the Lok Sabha (11 seats) from at least 3 different states.
• It has polled 6 per cent of votes in four states in addition to winning 4 Lok Sabha seats.
• It has been recognised as a state party in four or more states.

The parties have to fulfill these conditions before every Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to make sure they don’t lose their status.

With recognition, come perks

The Representation of the People Act allows political parties to accept contributions voluntarily offered to it by any person or company other than a government company. Apart from this, candidates of registered parties get preference in allotment of election symbols. Other candidates are identified as independents and do not get preference in symbol allocation.

Here's the schedule of the Assembly elections

State parties in the poll-bound states:

West Bengal: All India Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party

Tamil Nadu: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam

Kerala: Janata Dal (Secular), Kerala Congress (M), Indian Union Muslim League, Revolutionary Socialist Party

Assam: All India United Democratic Front, Asom Gana Parishad, Bodoland Peoples Front

Puducherry: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, All India N.R. Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Pattali Makkal Katchi