Poll Panel On Cleanup Mode, 808 Inactive Political Parties Delisted

The Election Commission of India has intensified its campaign to remove dormant political parties from official records. In this ongoing initiative, the Commission has delisted 808 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) that have remained electorally inactive over the past six years.

The nationwide cleanup operation commenced in June of this year.

Political organizations in India register under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Registration provides several advantages, including allocation of election symbols and tax exemptions.

However, regulatory guidelines clearly stipulate that political parties failing to participate in any election for six consecutive years will lose their registered status.

The Commission implemented the delisting process in two distinct phases. The first phase, completed on August 9, resulted in the removal of 334 unrecognised parties. The second phase concluded on September 18, with an additional 474 parties being delisted, bringing the total to 808 within a two-month timeframe.

In the second phase, Uttar Pradesh led with 121 delisted parties. Other significantly affected states included Maharashtra (44), Tamil Nadu (42), Delhi (40), Punjab (21), Madhya Pradesh (23), Bihar (15), Rajasthan (17), and Andhra Pradesh (17).

The second phase ultimately saw 474 parties from 30 States and Union Territories removed from official records.

The Commission has now initiated a third phase, identifying 359 additional parties across 23 States and UTs that have participated in elections but failed to submit their annual audited accounts for three consecutive financial years (2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24) or their election expenditure statements. Chief Electoral Officers in respective States/UTs are issuing show-cause notices, with hearings scheduled before the ECI makes final determinations.

Before this cleanup initiative began in June, India had six national parties, 67 state parties, and 2,854 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties. The removal of 808 RUPPs represents a significant reduction, making this one of the largest such operations ever conducted.

According to the Commission, this initiative aims to enhance transparency, accountability, and electoral credibility by ensuring that only genuinely active political parties continue to benefit from official registration status.