The move is part of the ECI’s ongoing efforts to ensure that only active and legitimate political parties are registered with the commission.
File Photo: IANS
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken a significant step towards cleaning up the electoral system by delisting 474 Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) for failing to contest elections for six consecutive years, the poll panel said in a statement on Friday.
The move is part of the ECI’s ongoing efforts to ensure that only active and legitimate political parties are registered with the commission. According to the Representation of the People Act 1951, any association registered as a political party gets certain privileges and advantages such as symbols, tax exemptions, and others. However, if a party fails to contest elections continuously for six years, it shall be taken off the list of registered parties.
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The ECI delisted 474 RUPPs on September 18, 2025, bringing the total number of delisted RUPPs to 808 in the last two months. It has identified 359 RUPPs that have not submitted their Annual Audited Accounts for the last three financial years and have contested elections but not filed Election Expenditure Reports.
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These RUPPs will be given a show-cause notice and an opportunity for a hearing before a final decision is taken, the poll panel said.
The 474 delisted RUPPs are from 30 different states and Union territories (UTs), with Uttar Pradesh having the highest number of delisted parties (121), followed by Maharashtra (44) and Tamil Nadu (42).
The ECI claims that its decision to delist inactive RUPPs is a step towards promoting transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
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