ECI Delists 334 RUPPs Failing To Contest Single Election for 6 Years
These 334 RUPP are from different states and Union Territories across the country. Some RUPPs were, in the past, seen flouting income tax laws and the anti-money laundering law
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has delisted 334 registered unrecognised political parties (RUPP) which have failed to fulfil the essential condition of contesting even a single election for six years since 2019. The ECI on Saturday said the offices of these RUPPs could also not be physically located anywhere.
The move comes ahead of the Bihar polls. Parties delisted cannot field their candidates to contest elections.
There are at present six national parties, 67 state parties and 2854 RUPPs registered with the ECI. The ECI had in June this year started a clean up exercise of the parties that have not contested elections continuously for six years. During the exercise 345 RUPPs were found lacking. A reverification was again conducted during which 334 RUPPs out of the total of 345 were found not complying with the required conditions.
These 334 RUPP are from different states and Union Territories across the country. Some RUPPs were, in the past, seen flouting income tax laws and the anti-money laundering law.
Since 2001, the EC has weeded out defunct RUPPs "three to four" times, officials said. The Supreme Court had earlier barred the poll panel from "derecognising" political parties, noting that it was not prescribed under law. However, the EC has found a way to "delist parties". Those delisted can be listed again by the poll authority without getting into the process of giving them fresh recognition, a former EC functionary pointed out.
Political parties (national/state/RUPPs) in the country are registered with the EC under the provisions of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act 1951.
Under this provision, any association once registered as a political party gets certain privileges and advantages, such as tax exemptions, amongst others.
This exercise has been conducted with the aim of cleaning up the political system and delisting of such parties which have not contested any election to the Lok Sabha or Legislative Assemblies of states/UTs or byelections since 2019, and those which could not be physically traced as well, the officials said.
