KOLKATA: Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Monday thanked the Election Commission for derecognising Trinamool Congress as a national party and asked the party when it is removing “All India” from its party’s name.
“I sincerely thank Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner of India Shri @rajivkumarec Ji (IAS) & @ECISVEEP for derecognising @AITCofficial as a National Party. I raised this issue after Tripura Elections as TMC failed to fulfill the criteria. When are you removing “AI” AITCofficial (All India Trinamool Congress)?” Adhikari tweeted.
TMC MP Saugata Roy told ANI that the party will continue to do its job irrespective of the status.
“Trinamool Congress has overcome many obstacles, we will overcome this too. We will continue to do what we have to do, it will not make any difference,” Roy said.
In a major jolt to Mamata Banerjee ahead of the General elections next year, the Election Commission on Monday derecognised TMC as the national party. It also withdrew the same status from Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and CPI.
The ECI granted national party status to Aam Aadmi Party. In other decisions, the poll panel gave recognition to Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) as a state party in Nagaland and Tipra Motha Party was recognised as a state party in Tripura. Bharat Rashtra Samithi has been derecognised as a state party in Andhra Pradesh.
The poll panel also withdrew the state party status of Rashtriya Lok Dal in Uttar Pradesh and of Revolutionary Socialist Party in West Bengal.
The Voice of the People Party got recognition as a state party in Meghalaya. Tipra Motha Party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Voice of the People Party got recognition as state parties based on their recent performance in the assembly polls earlier this year in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya respectively.
AAP rules Delhi and Punjab. Apart from Delhi and Punjab, it got national party status based on its performance in Gujarat and Goa. It is a recognised state party in Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat and Goa.
AAP has been looking for a national footprint and has contested polls in several states. (ANI)