India now has seven 'National parties'
After the Election Commission confirmed that the All India Trinamool Congress is a 'National party' on Thursday, India now has seven 'National parties'. The parties include Congress, BJP, NCP, BSP, CPI, CPM, and Trinamool Congress. This comes after Election Commission rules were amended recently, allowing political parties to retain 'State' or 'National' status for two election cycles (10 years). 