By fulfilling which of the following conditions can a political party claim the status of a national party ? 1. It secures at least six per cent (6%) of the valid votes polled in any four or more states, at a general election to the House of the People or, to the State Legislative Assembly 2. It wins at least four seats in the House of the People from any State or States or wins at least two per cent (2%) seats in the House of the People (i.e., 11 seats in the existing House having 543 members), and these members are elected from at least three different States 3. The party in question has got recognition as a state party in at least two states 4. It must have its headquarters in New Delhi Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- (a)1, 2 and 3
- (b)2 and 4
- (c)1 and 2 only
- (d)1, 3 and 4
Correct — C, 1 and 2 only. Statements 1 and 2 describe the vote-share route and the seat route to national party status under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 — six per cent of the valid votes polled in four or more States, and either four Lok Sabha seats or two per cent of the seats in the House of the People won from at least three different States. Statement 3 fails on a number: the third route to recognition requires the party to be recognised as a State party in at least four States, not two. Statement 4 is simply not a legal condition at all — the Election Commission's rules say nothing about where a party keeps its office.
- (a)1, 2 and 3 — It admits statement 3, which understates the requirement. Recognition as a State party in two States is not enough; the Symbols Order asks for four.
- (b)2 and 4 — It drops the correct vote-share condition and picks up the invented headquarters condition. There has never been a rule that a national party must be based in New Delhi.
- (d)1, 3 and 4 — This keeps one correct statement and both wrong ones. Spotting that statement 4 is a fabricated requirement is enough to reject options (b) and (d) at once.
Political parties in India register with the Election Commission under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, but recognition as a State party or a national party is granted separately under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. Recognition brings a reserved symbol across the country, free broadcast time on public radio and television, more star campaigners and a copy of the electoral rolls — which is why the thresholds matter so much in practice.
Two of the four statements can be dismissed without any recall of the exact percentages: no election law anywhere ties recognition to the location of an office, and 'two States' is a suspiciously easy threshold for a national label. One honest point about the printed statements — statement 1 gives only the six per cent vote share and leaves out the part of that same route which also requires the party to win four Lok Sabha seats, yet the official key still treats it as correct, so answer to the key and keep the fuller rule in mind for the exam that asks the condition in full. The list of recognised national parties is revised from time to time as parties cross or fall below these thresholds.
- A party may qualify by polling six per cent of valid votes in four or more States along with four Lok Sabha seats.
- It may also qualify by winning at least two per cent of Lok Sabha seats — eleven in a House of 543 — from at least three different States.
- The third route is recognition as a State party in at least four States.
- Registration comes under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, while recognition comes under the Election Symbols Order, 1968.
Any one route is enough; there is no requirement about where the party is headquartered.
- Accepting a plausible-sounding administrative condition such as a headquarters requirement; election law is about votes and seats.
- Muddling the numbers — six per cent of votes in four States, two per cent of seats from three States, State-party recognition in four States.
NDA sets this as a statement-set question in which one number is quietly altered, so learn the thresholds as figures rather than as impressions.
Consider the following statements regarding the political parties in India: I. The Representation of the People Act, 1951 provides for the registration of political parties. II. Registration of political parties is carried out by the Election Commission. III. A national level political party is one which is recognised in four or more States. IV. During the 1999 general elections, there were six National and 48 State level parties recognised by the Election Commission. Which of these statements are correct?
- (a) I, II and IV
- (b) I and III
- (c) II and IV
- (d) I, II, III and IV
Answer(d) I, II, III and IV
UPSC states the four-State rule explicitly — the very number the third statement of this NDA question understates as two. Read the two questions together and the threshold is fixed for good.
Which of the following political parties is/are national political parties? I. Muslim League II. Revolutionary Socialist Party III. All India Forward Block IV. Peasants and Workers Party of India Choose the correct answer from the codes given below:
- (a) I, II and III
- (b) II and IV
- (c) III only
- (d) None of the above
Answer(d) None of the above
The same recognition rules applied to actual parties rather than to the text of the criteria. All four named there were State-level parties, which is what the thresholds in this NDA question are designed to filter.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Recognition of a political party as a national party in India is granted under
- (a)the Constitution of India
- (b)the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968
- (c)the Government of India Act, 1935
- (d)the Anti-Defection Law
Answer(b) the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 — issued by the Election Commission.
- practice — not a real PYQ
A party may be recognised as a national party if it is recognised as a State party in at least
- (a)two States
- (b)three States
- (c)four States
- (d)six States
Answer(c) four States — one of the three alternative routes to national recognition.