Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 9: In a decisive move to streamline and sanitize India’s electoral framework, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has removed 334 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) from its official list, citing prolonged inactivity and unverifiable credentials.
The move comes as part of the ECI's larger crackdown on defunct political entities that exist only on paper. These parties, the Commission noted, have not contested a single election since 2019 — a clear violation of eligibility norms — and had office addresses that could not be physically verified.
“After detailed assessment and recommendations from Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) across states, 334 RUPPs have been delisted. This reduces the total number of RUPPs from 2,854 to 2,520,” the ECI said in an official statement released Saturday.
These delisted parties will no longer be entitled to benefits under Section 29B and 29C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, nor will they be eligible for reserved election symbols under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
The Commission clarified that any party affected by this decision has the right to appeal within 30 days.
This action is part of a broader electoral hygiene initiative initiated in June 2025, when the ECI tasked CEOs of all States and Union Territories with verifying the credentials and compliance of 345 identified RUPPs. Following on-ground verification, show-cause notices, and opportunities for personal hearings, 334 were found non-compliant with registration norms, including the requirement to contest at least one election in six years.
Currently, India has six national parties, 67 state-level parties, and 2,520 remaining RUPPs on record.
The ECI has been steadily pursuing a cleanup of inactive political entities since 2022. So far, 284 such parties have been delisted and another 253 declared inactive, reflecting the Commission’s sustained effort to curb the misuse of political registrations for non-electoral purposes such as tax evasion or financial irregularities.
With this latest purge, the ECI continues to assert its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the integrity of India’s electoral process.