People's Democracy

THE Election Commission of India has again granted recognition to the CPI(M) as a national party. This was informed to the CPI(M) by the commission in a letter dated December 27.

Going by the old criteria which required a national party to be recognised in four states as state parties, the Election Commission had derecognised the CPI(M) as a national party in August this year.

The recognition has been granted following a letter submitted by the CPI(M) to the commission, stating that it is entitled to the status of a national party on the basis of the new criteria for recognition decided by the Election Commission in November. By the new criteria, a party may be granted national status on the basis of its strength in Lok Sabha. Either it must have polled 6 per cent of the valid votes polled in any four states alongwith at least four seats in the Lok Sabha or it must have got 2 per cent of the total seats in Lok Sabha from at least three states.

The CPI(M) has 33 members in the Lok Sabha from five states. It is on this basis that the party wrote to the Election Commission asking for recognition as a national party.

Commenting on the commission's decision, a spokesman for the Central Committee welcomed it and said the earlier anomaly in the rules had been rectified and the CPI(M) has been given its legitimate status. (INN)