Will The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Get National Party Status By The End Of 2022?

It contested the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 but to no avail as it was bereft of states' leadership and organisational system.

On August 9, the Election Commission of India (ECI) recognised Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a state party in Goa after assessing its performance in assembly polls held in February, where it won two out of 40 seats.

Considering AAP’s victory in the Punjab state election in February this year while bagging 92 out of 117 seats, the party chief Arvind Kejriwal said that if his party gets recognised in one more state, then it will be elevated to a national level.

“After Delhi and Punjab, AAP is now a state recognised party in Goa too. If we get recognised in one more state, we will officially be declared a national party,” tweeted CM Arvind Kejriwal while congratulating party workers.

AAP is bracing itself for the Gujarat assembly elections scheduled for December this year. It has been campaigning vehemently and announcing different measures to be put in effect—like providing free electricity up to 300 units—if voted to power. Kejriwal stated that his party would contest all seats.

On the other hand is Gujarat CM Bhupendrabhai Patel, a BJP minister leading the state party. BJP Gujarat chief C R Patil regarded Kejriwal’s poll promises as “Chinese products” while admonishing citizens not to give it credence as it will have bad repercussions.

It didn’t conquer the Uttarakhand assembly election, losing all seats it contested on. However, unlike other parties, it already named Colonel Ajay Kothiyal as AAP’s chief ministerial face.

For a registered party, one needs to fulfil one of the following conditions:

Either it should win 2% seats in the Lok Sabha ( 11 seats as of 2014) from at least three different states, or it should achieve 6% of votes in four states in a general or assembly elections while winning four Lok Sabha seats from any state or states, or it should be sanctioned as a State Party in four or multiple states across the country. AAP looks to accomplish the second of these conditions.

The road to attaining ‘national party’ status seems closer now as it augments the electoral strength in different states. It contested the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 but to no avail as it was bereft of states’ leadership and organisational system.