Lagatar24 Desk
Bengaluru, April 6: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking directions on how to become recognised as a national party. AAP state media coordinator Brijesh Kalappa said on Thursday that the party merits to be a national party under the symbol order.
The High Court has instructed the Election Commission to make a decision by April 13 in response to the AAP’s petition. The poll body is examining AAP’s standing as a national-level political organisation.
Brijesh Kalappa said “We have filed a petition in Karnataka High Court regarding the same which will be heard today. We are confident of getting the status of a national party.”
The AAP leader emphasised that any political party with a vote percentage of above 6% in more than four states should be recognised as a national party under Section 6b of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allocation) Order, 1968.
After garnering over 14% of the vote in the Gujarat Assembly election, AAP qualified for national party status last year.
Before the Assembly elections, which will be held in a single phase on May 10, the AAP has set out to build its grassroots presence in response to the vast electoral apparatus that the BJP and the Congress have in place in Karnataka. The counting of votes will take place on May 13.
Notably, a political group must be recognised as a state party in at least four states and have two representatives in each state’s legislative assembly in order to become a national party.
AAP has been propelled to attain the desired national party status thanks to landslide victories in Punjab, five seats in Gujarat on its debut and a dramatic victory in the Delhi civic elections.
“Today, the AAP has become a national party. Results of the Gujarat election have come and the party has become a national party. 10 years ago AAP was a small party, now it has governments in two states and has become a national party,” Arvind Kejriwal said on December 8 last year.
