"Poll Body Decision Over Parties On Decline As Per Rules": Minister Anurag Thakur

Union minister Anurag Thakur today said the Election Commission acted as per rules in denying the national and the state party status to those who were not getting support of the people and were "continuously on decline".

On Monday, the EC stripped the national party status of Trinamool Congress, NCP and the CPI, and recognised AAP as a national party. It also revoked the state party status of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which is active in western Uttar Pradesh, and some other parties.

"Those who did not get votes, who did not get acceptance by the public and had continuously been on the decline, on them the Election Commission has given its decision as per the rules," Mr Thakur, who was in Bulandshahr to attend an event, said when asked about the Election Commission decision.

After the latest reorganisation of party status by the EC, the country now has six national parties - BJP, Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), CPI(M), National People's Party (NPP) and AAP.

A national party tag allows an outfit to get a common poll symbol across the country, more star campaigners, free air time on national broadcasters for election campaigns and by convention office space in Delhi. Benefits on similar lines are also allowed to a state party.

On the upcoming Karnataka election, Mr Thakur expressed confidence that the BJP will win the state.

"The BJP won Gujarat, Tripura won, Assam won, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand...and will also win Karnataka," he added.

The Union minister also said training is being given to lakhs of youths through skill development.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)