Every party in the country has to register with the Election Commission.
(i) While the Election Commission treats all parties equally, it offers some special facilities to large and established parties. These parties are given a unique symbol and 'recognised' by the Election Commission that is why these parties are called, 'recognised political parties'.
(ii) The Election Commission has laid down detailed criteria of the proportion of votes and seats that a party must get in order to be a recognised party.