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8 months ago
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ARTICLE AD BOX
In a significant crackdown, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has begun the process of delisting 345 registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) across states and Union Territories over their failure to comply with important conditions to continue their existence.
The two essential criteria that they didn't fulfil are contesting any election, such as the Lok Sabha, legislative assemblies of states and Union Territories or bye-elections since 2019, and setting up of physical offices.
What caused this decision?
Led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, this initiative is part of a nationwide effort to identify and eliminate inactive political parties that continue to retain the advantages of registration without meeting essential obligations.
India presently has more than 2,800 RUPPs listed with the ECI under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. However, the Commission has observed that a significant number of these parties have become inactive, neglecting their participation in the democratic process.
Last year, the Commission mandated that RUPPs submit audited financial statements for the previous three years, expenditure reports from the last two elections, including the signature of the party’s authorised office-bearer, besides their symbol application forms.
What is the difference between RUPP and recognised political parties?
Newly registered parties, those that have not achieved the required percentage of votes in assembly or general elections to qualify as a state party, or parties that have never contested elections since their registration, are classified as unrecognised parties. These parties do not receive the full range of benefits granted to recognised parties.
However, recognised political parties shall be categorised as either a National party or a State party if they satisfy specific established requirements. To obtain recognition as a political organisation at the national or state level, the party must achieve a minimum percentage of valid votes cast or secure a specified number of seats in the state legislative assembly or the Lok Sabha during the recent election.
The recognition granted by the Commission gives parties certain privileges such as the assignment of party symbols, allocation of time for political broadcasts on government-owned television and radio channels, and access to electoral registers.
ECI's direction to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs)
The ECI instructed the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of the respective States and Union Territories to release show-cause notices to these parties. The RUPPs will be permitted to appear their case in hearings in front of their respective CEOs, followed by the Commission making the final decision on delisting, according to reports.
What happens when a political party is delisted?
Once delisted, these political groups will lose the benefits associated with being a registered political party, especially tax exemptions and recognition-related advantages. They will also be excluded from the ECI's official list of registered political parties and will be required to complete the entire registration process again if they wish to regain their status.
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