Poll Panel On Cleanup Mode, 808 Inactive Political Parties Delisted

The Election Commission of India has stepped up its efforts to remove inactive political parties from its records. As part of this ongoing effort, the Commission has delisted 808 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties or RUPPs that have not contested a single election in the last six years.  

Political parties in India are registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Once registered, these parties receive certain benefits, such as election symbols and tax breaks. 

However, the guidelines make it clear that any party that does not contest elections for six years will be removed from the list of registered parties.  

808 Parties Delisted in Two Phases

The poll commission began this nationwide effort in June. In the first phase, on August 9, it delisted 334 unrecognised parties. In the second phase, on September 18, another 474 were removed from the list, leading to a total of 808 delisted parties within two months.  

In the second phase, Uttar Pradesh saw the most action, with 121 parties delisted. Other states with significant numbers include Maharashtra (44), Tamil Nadu (42), Delhi (40), Punjab (21), Madhya Pradesh (23), Bihar (15), Rajasthan (17), and Andhra Pradesh (17). 

Overall, 474 parties from 30 States and Union Territories were removed in this round.  

Third Phase In Progress: 359 Parties Under Scrutiny  

Moving forward, the Commission has identified 359 more parties across 23 States and UTs that have contested elections but have not submitted their annual audited accounts for three consecutive financial years (2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24) or their election expenditure reports. The Chief Electoral Officers of the respective States/UTs are issuing show-cause notices, and hearings will follow before a final decision by the ECI.  

Before this drive began in June, India had six national parties, 67 state parties, and 2,854 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties. With the removal of 808 RUPPs, the total has decreased significantly, marking one of the largest cleanup operations of its kind.  

The Commission said the initiative aims to ensure transparency, accountability, and a more credible electoral process, where only genuinely active political parties can continue to enjoy the benefits of registration.