Sunday, May 1 2005 15:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In a move aimed at liberalising grant of national and State party status, the Election Commission (EC) is soon likely to firm up its opinion on the proposed amendments in the rules.

The Commission had recently circulated among political parties a set of proposals suggesting certain amendments in the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order and sought their views.

While some of the political parties sent their views to the poll panel, major parties like Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are yet to respond, EC sources said.

It is understood that while the Communist Party Of India Marxist (CPM) was not in favour of any changes in the existing rules, Communist Party Of India (CPI) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) partially welcomed the amendments.

The sources said that the Commission may take a decision on the proposed amendments before the present Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy demits office on May 16.

As per the proposed amendments to get recognition as a National Party, the EC had laid down three conditions and a party has to fulfil any one.

The conditions are:

1) A party is recognised as State party in at least five States subject to the further condition that the party has returned at least four members to the Lok Sabha at the last general elections from one or more States or Union Territories.

2) A party has returned at least 25 members to the Lok Sabha at the last general election and these members are elected from at least four different States.

3) At the last general election to the Lok Sabha or to the Assemblies, a party has polled not less than six per cent of valid votes polled in five or more States, and in addition, it has returned at least four members to the Lok Sabha at the last general election, from one or more States or union territories.

The EC has also suggested that a political party to get recognition as a State party would have to satisfy any of the four conditions.

1) At the last general election to the Assembly of the State, the party has returned at least one member to the Assembly for every 25 members or any fraction thereof allotted to that Assembly.

2) At the last general election to the Lok Sabha from the State, the party has returned at least one member to the Lok Sabha for every 20 years or any fraction thereof allotted to that State.

3) At the last general election, either to the Assembly or the State or to the Lok Sabha, (a) the party has polled not less than six per cent of the total valid votes polled in the State, and in addition, (b) the party has returned at least two members to the Assembly of that State or one member to the Lok Sabha from that State at such general election.

4) At the last general election, either to the Assembly of the State or to the Lok Sabha, the party polled not less than ten per cent of the total valid votes polled in the State.

It is understood that NCP opined that to get national party status a party should be recognised, as State party in four States and not in five States as proposed under the new amendments.

Similarly, CPI felt the condition that a party should have 25 MPs in Lok Sabha to obtain national party status was too stiff and said the present requirement of 11 seats was fair enough.

The existing law stipulates that for a national party status, the party should have secured at least six per cent of total valid votes polled in four or more States won at least four seats or they should have won 11 seats from not less than three States.

For the State party status, the outfit should secure not less than six per cent of the total valid votes and two members in the State Assembly or win three per cent of the total number of seats in the Assembly.