New Delhi: While the counting of votes in the Gujarat Assembly elections were underway on Thursday, a senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi’s deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the party’s vote share in Gujarat will make the Aam Aadmi Party a national party.

Sisodia took to Twitter to announce the party’s transformation into a national party with these words, “for the first time, education and health issues are taking a centre stage in national politics.”

“The Aam Aadmi Party is becoming a national party today with the votes of the people of Gujarat. For the first time, the politics of education and health are making a mark in national politics. Congratulations to the whole country for this,” AAP leader tweeted in Hindi.

गुजरात की जनता के वोट से आम आदमी पार्टी आज राष्ट्रीय पार्टी बन रही है.

शिक्षा और स्वास्थ्य की राजनीति पहली बार राष्ट्रीय राजनीति में पहचान बना रही है.

इसके लिए पूरे देश को बधाई.
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) December 8, 2022

What makes a political party get a ‘national party’ status?

For any political outfit aspiring to get a ‘national party’ status, it needs to be recognised in at least four states, and to be recognised as a state party, it needs to win at least two seats and 6 percent of votes polled in the Assembly election.

In 182-member Gujarat State Assembly elections, the debutant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) received a 12.91 percent vote share paving the way for its recognition as a national party. The counting of votes concluded and as per Gujarat state election results, BJP stormed back to power with 156 seats, Congress was reduced to 17 seats and AAP opened its account with 5 seats.

As the party performed well in Gujarat Assembly election, Arvind Kejriwal’s party is set to become the ninth political party to secure the status of a national party. Currently, BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, NCP, CPI(M), CPI, BSP and National People’s Party (NPP) have national party status.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is waiting for the Election Commission to officially grant national party status to AAP. Kejriwal posted a video message on his Twitter handle and said his party has ‘breached the BJP bastion of Gujarat.’.

“we have become a national party. Gujarat people have made us a national party. Very few parties get the status of national party…We have breached the BJP bastion of Gujarat this time and we will surely win next time,” Kejriwal said.

राष्ट्रीय पार्टी बनने पर आम आदमी पार्टी के सभी कार्यकर्ताओं और सभी देशवासियों को बधाई। pic.twitter.com/sba9Q1sz1f
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 8, 2022