The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by Mayawati, is all set to lose its status as a national party after it failed to win the two seats the party needed to hold on to this status. BSP ended up winning one seat in Haryana and none in Maharashtra.

Rajya Sabha BSP leader Satish Mishra was spotted inside Parliament distributing copies of a petition from regional parties that include the AIADMK, CPI, CPM, DMK, PMK and the YSR Congress.

The petition, which is in fact a joint memorandum, the BSP hopes, will stall the passage of the Election Symbol order 1968 (clause 6).

Many smaller parties will be derecognised. Only the BJP and the Congress will be recognised as they have got 8 per cent of the total votes.

Earlier the regional/state parties were automatically recognised if they obtained 4 per cent of the total votes polled. But the order has since been issued for increasing the 4 per cent to 8 per cent of the total votes polled.

Mayawati has been wiped out in the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, hence BSP has taken the onus to fight this 'undemocratic law' as she puts it. The party is lobbying with regional parties to take up this issue collectively so that  the Election Commission and the Modi sarkar can take note of their grievances.