The Election Commission (EC) recognised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a State party on Thursday after the party fulfilled the eligibility conditions set by the EC for granting the status.
The party which made its electoral debut in the Delhi Assembly elections won 28 of the 70 seats securing about 30 per cent votes.
Arvind Kejriwal, a former Indian Revenue Service officer-turned-politician, launched the AAP on November 26 last year.
To get the EC’s recognition as a “State party,” all the candidates set up by the party together should get a minimum of eight per cent of the valid votes polled in the entire State or secure a minimum of six per cent of the total votes polled and one Assembly seat for every 25 seats in that State.
The AAP, which was allotted “broom” as the election symbol by the Commission, will now have the choice of retaining “broom” as its permanent election symbol or it can design its own poll symbol provided it fits within the rules and regulations of the Commission.
Among the privileges the status of being a “State party” brings with itself, includes participation in the all-party meetings convened by the EC/the State/Central governments, a permanent common symbol for all their contestants, privilege to address the voters through the All India Radio and Doordarshan during poll.
