Any Indian citizen who is more than 25 years old and is
registered as a voter can contest elections even without forming a party.
Similarly, associations can also contest elections without getting registered
by the Election Commission. They, however, will not be identified as political parties and hence will not be
eligible for availing of benefits under the provisions of the Representation of
the People Act, 1951 (RPA).
There
are many benefits of registering a party. Firstly, the RPA allows political
parties to accept contributions voluntarily offered to it by any person or
company other than a government company. Apart from this, candidates of
registered parties get preference in allotment of election symbols. Other
Candidates are identified as independents and do not get preference in symbol
allocation.
Registered political parties, in course of time, can get
recognition as `State Party’ or National Party’ subject to the fulfillment of
the conditions prescribed by the Commission in the Election Symbols
(Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, as amended from time to time.
If a party is recognised as a State Party’, it is entitled
for exclusive allotment of its reserved symbol to the candidates set up by it
in the State in which it is so recognised, and if a party is recognised as a `National
Party’ it is entitled for exclusive allotment of its reserved symbol to the
candidates set up by it throughout India. Recognised `State’ and `National’
parties need only one proposer for filing the nomination and are also entitled
for two sets of electoral rolls free of cost at the time of revision of rolls
and their candidates get one copy of electoral roll free of cost during General
Elections. Further they get broadcast/telecast facilities over
Akashvani/Doordarshan during general elections. Political parties are entitled
to nominate “Star Campaigners” during General Elections. A recognized National
or State party can have a maximum of 40 “Star campaigners” and a registered
un-recognised party can nominate a maximum of 20 ‘Star Campaigners”. The travel
expenses of star campaigners are not to be accounted for in the election
expense accounts of candidates of their party.
A political party shall be treated as a
recognised political party in a State, if and only if the political party
fulfills any of the following conditions:
Ø At
General Elections or Legislative Assembly elections, the party has won 3% of
seats in the legislative assembly of the State ( subject to a minimum of 3
seats).
Ø At a Lok Sabha General Elections, the party
has won 1 Lok sabha seat for every 25 Lok Sabha seat allotted for the State.
Ø At a General Election to Lok Sabha or
Legislative Assembly , the party has polled minimum of 6% of votes in a
State and in addition it has won 1 Lok
Sabha or 2 Legislative Assembly seats.
Ø At a General Election to Lok Sabha or
Legislative Assembly, the party has polled 8% of votes in a State.
For National Status:
Ø The party wins 2% of seats in the Lok Sabha
(11 seats) from at least 3 different States.
Ø At a General Election to Lok Sabha or
Legislative Assembly, the party polls 6% of votes in four States and in
addition it wins 4 Lok Sabha seats.
Ø A party gets recognition as State Party in
four or more States.
Both national and state
parties have to fulfill these conditions for all subsequent Lokshabha or State
elections. Else, they lose their status.
One can see the change in status of National parties and State
parties who loses their party position and benefit when they don’t fulfill the
required qualification of being National or State party for the next election,
following chart shown as Figure 1 shows number of political parties registered
and participated in General Elections 2004 & 2009 and total number of
Political parties as of 14 February, 2014:
|
National
Parties
|
6
|
6
|
|
State
Parties
|
56
|
36
|
|
Unrecognized
Parties
|
702
|
173
|
|
Total
Registered Parties
|
764
|
215
|
|
National Parties
|
7
|
7
|
|
State Parties
|
39
|
34
|
|
Unrecognized Parties
|
1014
|
322
|
|
Total Registered
Parties
|
1060
|
363
|
|
National Parties
|
6
|
|
State Parties
|
47
|
|
Unrecognized Parties
|
1563
|
|
Total Registered
Parties
|
1616
|
****
PIB General Election Team- For more
Backgrounders/Information Pl visit www. pib.nic.in
Source : Election Commission of India