Kerala Congress retains recognition

New Delhi: The Election Commission's modified criteria for recognition has enabled four regional parties including Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh to retain their recognition as state party.

Besides SP, three other parties from South -- MDMK and PMK and Kerala Congress -- fit into the new criteria to retain their state party status in Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively, EC sources said.

These four parties were among the nine parties which were served show-cause notices by the EC sometime back on the basis of the poll performance in the last Lok Sabha polls. In the meantime, the EC came with the modifications in the criteria for political parties to seek recognition as a national party or as a state party.

These four parties have become eligible under the new criteria to retain the state party status, the sources said. Five other regional parties -- CPI (ML) in Assam, JMM in Bihar, Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann), Meghalaya Hill State People's Democratic Party and Trinamool Congress in Tripura have not fulfilled even the new criteria, the sources said adding the Commission is expected to take a decision on their status soon.