Five Jharkhand parties lose recognition in Election Commission’s crackdown

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has cancelled the recognition of 334 registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) across the country, including five from Jharkhand. The move follows a nationwide compliance review under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Income Tax Act, and the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

In Jharkhand, the parties removed from the register are Bharat Vikas Morcha of Deoghar, Bharatiya Janmukti Party and Manav Mukti Morcha of Palamu, Navjawan Sangharsh Morcha of Garhwa, and Rashtriya Mazdoor Kisan Prajatantrik Party of Ranchi.

Advertisement

The action followed an inquiry by the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), who identified seven RUPPs with no traceable addresses. All were served notices and asked to appear with sworn affidavits to confirm their existence. Only Jansadharan Party of Ranchi and Jharkhand Vikas Dal responded and retained their status. The other five did not send representatives, leading to their deregistration.

With their removal, the parties lose their allocated symbols and entitlements, making them ineligible to contest elections under the same registration. The ECI order allows appeals within 30 days, though reversing compliance failures is often difficult.

The crackdown is part of a broader national effort to remove dormant or non-compliant entities. In June, the ECI directed state CEOs to verify 345 RUPPs suspected of violating registration norms. Before the review, the ECI listed seven national parties, 67 state parties, and 2,854 RUPPs. Following the latest action, 2,520 RUPPs remain registered.

Uttar Pradesh accounted for the largest number of deregistrations at 114, followed by Delhi with 26 and Tamil Nadu with 22. Jharkhand’s five deregistrations place it among states with a moderate level of compliance issues.