The political parties in India are recognised by the Election Commission of India (ECI). It is a constitutional authority responsible for granting recognition to political parties at the national and state levels based on objective criteria related to their electoral performance
Key Points about Recognition by the Election Commission of India:
- The ECI grants recognition to national-level and state-level political parties if they meet specific criteria concerning vote share and seats won in elections to the Lok Sabha or state legislative assemblies
- Recognition confers privileges such as a reserved party symbol, free broadcast time on state-run media, consultation in setting election dates, and input in electoral rules
- Registered parties that do not meet recognition criteria remain registered but unrecognised and do not enjoy these privileges
- The ECI periodically reviews the status of recognized parties and can derecognise parties if they fail to meet the criteria over consecutive elections
Criteria for Recognition:
- National Party : For example, a party must secure at least 6% of valid votes in at least 4 states and win at least 4 Lok Sabha seats, or win 2% of Lok Sabha seats from at least 3 states, or be recognized as a state party in 4 or more states
- State Party : Criteria include securing a certain percentage of valid votes and winning seats in the state legislative assembly or Lok Sabha from that state
The Election Commission of India was established under Article 324 of the Constitution and has the authority to supervise, direct, and control elections to Parliament, state legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice- President of India
. In summary, the Election Commission of India is the sole constitutional body that recognises political parties in India and regulates their status and privileges accordingly.
