New Delhi [India]: In significant decisions that have ramifications for national polity, the Election Commission withdrew this recognition from Nationalist Congress Party, CPI and Trinamool Congress.
Trinamool Congress Saugata Roy said the party has fought many obstacles and “will overcome this too”. The EC decision came amid the campaign for Karnataka assembly polls and months before assembly polls in Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh due by the end of this year.
The loss of national party status is a setback for both NCP and Trinamool Congress. The ruling party in Bengal has clear national ambitions with party leaders apparently keen that party supremo Mamata Banerjee emerges as a prime ministerial candidate.
The decision will also have a bearing in terms of opposition efforts to forge a united front to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. While the decision has increased the political heft of AAP, it has seemingly affected NCP and Trinamool Congress in the perception battle. NCP chief Sharad Pawar is among the senior most opposition leaders.
In other decisions, the Election Commission gave recognition to Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) as a state party in Nagaland and Tipra Motha Party was recognised as a state party in Tripura. Bharat Rashtra Samithi has been derecognised as a state party in Andhra Pradesh.
The poll panel also withdrew the state party status of Rashtriya Lok Dal in Uttar Pradesh and of Revolutionary Socialist Party in West Bengal.
The Voice of the People Party got recognition as a state party in Meghalaya.
Tipra Motha Party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Voice of the People Party got recognition as state parties based on their recent performance in the assembly polls earlier this year in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya respectively.
Saugata Roy said Trinamool Congress will continue with its work.
“Trinamool Congress has overcome many obstacles, we will overcome this too. We will continue to do what we have to do, it will not make any difference,” Roy told ANI.
Trinamool Congress, which rules West Bengal, could not attain much success in the elections to northeastern states held earlier this year.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari took a jibe on Trinamool Congress and asked when will it remove “All India” from its name All India Trinamool Congress.
“I sincerely thank Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner of India Shri @rajivkumarec Ji (IAS) & @ECISVEEP for derecognising @AITCofficial as a National Party. I raised this issue after Tripura Elections as TMC failed to fulfill the criteria. When are you removing “AI” AITCofficial (All India Trinamool Congress)?” Adhikari asked in a tweet.
The Karnataka High Court had last week passed directions to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar to pass an order before April 13 regarding the national party status of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Responding to the court’s direction, the CEC representative has confirmed the same will be done on April 11.
