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BSP gets recognition as national party

The Bahujan Samaj Party has been recognised as a national political party by the Election Commission with the 'elephant' as its election symbol all over the country except in Assam, Pondicherry and Sikkim.

An official release said the ruling Asom Gana Parishad, the Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Sikkim Sangram Parishad will be allowed to use the 'elephant' as an election symbol in Assam, Pondicherry and Sikkim.

If these parties desired to contest elections in other states and Union Territories, they would be provided other symbols.

The Commission has derecognised the Janata Party as a national political party. Since it fulfilled the conditions for recognition as a state party, it would be recognised as such only in Arunachal Pradesh with 'haldhar' (a man carrying a plough) as its reserved symbol.

Another party which has lost recognition as a national party is the All Indira Congress Committee (Tiwari) as it, too, had failed to fulfil all the conditions laid down under the law. It has, however, been recognised as a state party in Rajasthan and asked to delete the 'Tiwari' suffix as former Union minister Narain Dutt Tiwari had joined the Congress -- he is the latter party's Uttar Pradesh unit chief.

The EC has also said the PMK, which was a state party in Tamil Nadu, has lost its recognition. Henceforth, it will be recognised as a state party in Pondicherry.The Arunachal Congress has been recognised as a state party in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party and the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference, the Indian National Congress (Socialist) in Kerala and Manipur and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu have lost recognition and ceased to be recognised as state parties, the EC said.

UNI

EARLIER REPORT:
AGP, BSP, PMK, SSP to share 'elephant' as election symbol

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