New Delhi, Sep 13 : As part of its effort to ensure that all parties are in compliance with the law, Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) headed by the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, has delisted 86 non-existent RUPPs and declared 253 as inactive RUPPs’.The actions against 339 incompliant RUPPs increases the total up to 537 defaulting RUPPs from May 25, 2022.
The ECI stated that in accordance with the lawful requirements of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act each political party is required to notify any changes in its name head office, office bearers, head office address, PAN etc.to the Commission immediately.
A total of 86 RUPPs were found to be inactive through a physical check conducted by the chief electoral officers of the concerned states/UTs or on the report of not delivered letters or notices from the postal authority to the address registered of the concerned RUPP.
It is possible to recall that ECI had removed the 87 and 111 RUPPs by issuance of orders in the month of May 25 and June 20 respectively.
The latest decision on 253 non-compliant RUPPs was upon the basis of reports from the chief election officers of seven states Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
The 253 RUPPs have been declared inactive because they haven’t responded to the notice or letter sent to them and haven’t been a part of any election, whether it was Assembly polls or the Parliamentary elections of 2014 or 2019.
These RUPPs have not complied with the legal obligations for over 16 compliance measures since 2015, and are currently in the process of going to default, according to an official from the senior EC official.
Out of the above 253 parties there were 66 RUPPs who actually applied for an ordinary symbol as per Para 10B of the Symbol’s Order 1968 and did not contest the elections.
It is important to remember that the privilege of the common symbol is granted to RUPP in exchange for an undertaking to put up at least 5 percent of all candidates with regards to the legislative Assembly elections of the state.
“Possibility of such parties occupying the pre-election political space by claiming benefits of legal entitlements, without contesting elections is not eliminated.
This could also draw out the political parties that are running for elections and creates confusion for electorate,” added the official.
Any party who is unhappy may contact the chief electoral officer/Election Commission within thirty days of the issue of this direction with any documentation of existence, any other legal and regulatory requirements, such as annual reports (for all years that are in default) annual audited financial statements, contribution report and expenditure report, the update of office bearers, as well as authorized signatories for financial transactions, stated the EC.
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