New Delhi: By securing two seats from Tamil Nadu, the Communist Party of India [Marxist] (CPM) will be able to hold on to its national party status. However, the Communist Party of India (CPI) will lose the national status.
As per the Election Commission, a party has to meet at least one of the three criteria to get the national status
- The party should be able to win 6 per cent of the total valid votes in at least four states in the last held elections (Lok Sabha/ state assembly). Apart from this, at least four members should be elected to the Lok Sabha.
- Not less than two per cent (11 members) of the total number of Lok Sabha seats (543) should win in the last held Lok Sabha polls. They should be elected from at least three different states.
- They should be recognised as a state party in at least four states.
The CPM is holding on to the national tag due to the third clause – they are recognized as state parties in Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Tripura. This will continue till 2029. Though the CPI has lost the national status, it will come into effect only in 2021.
