With four victories in Gujarat, Arvind Kejriwal tweets, "National party now!"

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to hold onto power in Gujarat for a record seventh consecutive term on Thursday, heading for a two-thirds majority. However, the newly-entered Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is on track to be recognized as a national party by the Election Commission of India after winning four seats and taking a lead in one, with a vote-share closing to 13%.

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi and the party's national convenor, stated “: "Congratulations to all the Aam Aadmi Party activists and all the countrymen on becoming a national party."

राष्ट्रीय पार्टी बनने पर आम आदमी पार्टी के सभी कार्यकर्ताओं और सभी देशवासियों को बधाई। pic.twitter.com/sba9Q1sz1f

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 8, 2022

In Gujarat, where the Congress and the BJP have long been rivals, the AAP ran a loud campaign to turn the election into a three-way contest. The AAP had believed that the people of Gujarat would adopt its welfare-oriented politics after its success in the Delhi municipal elections gave them more confidence.

While it was not anticipated that the Congress would repeat its great record from the 2017 state assembly elections, a strong showing by the AAP may have helped its leader Arvind Kejriwal solidify his position as a major opponent to Prime Minister Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Punjab also has the AAP in power.