Delhi Chief Minister & AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal with AAPs chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann.
Ahead of March 10 result day, exit polls have predicted a victory for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab. The border state has a total of 117 assembly constituencies while the half-way mark is 59.
Most exit polls are predicting that Kejriwal's party is set to form the government.
Now if this really happens then it will be a great boost for the party. AAP is already in power in Delhi, and winning in Punjab will better its chances of getting the status of a national party, a status accorded by the Election Commission.
How a party gets a national party status
A political party can get a national party status as per the rules laid down by the Election Commission.
The first step for a politicial party to proceed towards national party is that it has to grab the status of 'state party' in atleast 4 states, which is also accorded by the Election Commission.
To get a state party status, a political front has to satisfy one of the following criterias.
- A party must receive 8 per cent of the total vote share in the state assembly election.
- A party must receive 6 per cent vote share and win atleast 2 seats.
- A party must receive at least 3 per cent vote share and win atleast 3 seats.
If a political party ticks any one of the above mentioned criterias, it will get a state party status.
And if a party gets state party tag in 4 different states, then it will be considered as a national party.
Now for AAP, which is already in power in Delhi for two consecutive terms, a win in Punjab will make it closer to becoming a national party.
Plus, it has contested elections in Goa, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh also.
So, the results of recent elections are going to be very important for the Aam Aadmi Party with respect to its national party status.
In Delhi assembly election 2020, AAP registered a landslide victory winning 62 seats out of total 70.
ALSO READ | Exit Polls 2022: UP goes with Yogi-led BJP again
ALSO READ | Exit Polls 2022: BJP set to retain Goa, shows CNX; Ground Zero research gives party 10-14 seats
