After a post-poll review of the showing of various political parties, the Election Commission has recognised 13 political parties, awarding them the status of state parties.

These also include the Haryana Lok Dal, the Biju Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya), the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Rashtriya Janata Party.

But the CPI, which contested from 18 states and Union Territories mustered only 1.75 per cent of the votes polled in the country, clearly placing it in the danger list for de-recognition as a national party.

The Election Commission will meet separately to decide on the fate of political parties which haveretained their recognition.

Going by the results of the recent general elections to the 12th Lok Sabha, the BSP which got 4.68 per cent of the total percentage of votes polled and the Janata Dal which garnered 3.25 per cent are on the margin. A decision on their status will be taken shortly.

The Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Shiv Sena, which are already recognised as state parties in Pondicherry and Maharashtra respectively, have also become eligible for recognition as state parties in Tamil Nadu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli respectively.

The RJD has been recognised in Bihar and Manipur, the Lok Shakti in Karnataka and Nagaland, the BJD in Orissa, the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the SJP (Rashtriya) in Chandigarh.

Recognition of the status of a political party by the Commission entitles it to be allotted a party symbol for its exclusive use in the states and Union territories where it has gained recognition.

A political party should have been engaged in political activity for a continuousperiod of five years and have returned at least one member to the Lok Sabha for every 25 members. Alternately, the total number of valid votes polled by all the contesting candidates fielded by a political party should not be less than six per cent of the total valid votes polled by all the contesting candidates, according to the Commission.