The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday officially delisted 334 registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) across various states and Union Territories for failing to contest elections continuously for six years. This move is part of ECI’s ongoing effort to clean up the electoral system ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
The Election Commission issued a statement confirming that these 334 parties failed to meet the essential condition of participating in at least one election within six years, as stipulated under ECI guidelines.
“Guidelines for registration of political parties mention that if the party does not contest elections continuously for 6 years, the party shall be taken off the list of registered parties,” the statement said.
Cleaning up the Electoral System: ECI Delists 334 RUPPs
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— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 9, 2025
Earlier in June 2025, the ECI directed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of States and UTs to verify compliance of 345 RUPPs. The verification process included issuing show-cause notices and offering personal hearings.
Following thorough verification, 334 parties were found non-compliant. Their registered addresses could not be located, leading the Commission, after considering recommendations from CEOs, to delist them.
“Now, out of the total 2,854 RUPPs, 2,520 remain registered,” the Commission added.
This delisting is part of the Election Commission’s continuous strategy to weed out inactive political entities and ensure a cleaner, more transparent electoral process.
Currently, India has 6 National Parties and 67 State Parties. Since 2001, the EC has weeded out defunct RUPPs three to four times.
Although the Supreme Court barred the EC from “derecognising” political parties—since the law does not explicitly empower such action—the Commission has found a way to “delist” parties from the registered list.
A former EC official noted that delisted parties can be reinstated by the poll panel without undergoing the full recognition process again.
Parties delisted by this exercise are barred from fielding candidates in upcoming elections, including the crucial Bihar Assembly polls, marking a significant tightening of electoral compliance.
