The Election Commission of India (ECI) has struck off 334 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) from its rolls, citing prolonged inactivity and failure to comply with statutory obligations, in what it calls a “comprehensive and continuous strategy” to clean up the electoral system.
On August 9, in the Commission in its press note said that many of these parties had neither contested elections for over six years nor kept their organisational details updated as required under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Currently, the country has six national parties, 67 state parties, and 2,854 RUPPs.
By removing them from the list, the ECI aims to ensure that only genuine and active political entities remain registered, thereby preventing misuse of electoral provisions and associated benefits under Sections 29B and 29C of the RP Act, 1951, the Income Tax Act, 1961, and the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
Under the Commission’s guidelines, any party that fails to contest elections continuously for six years can be struck off the list. Additionally, parties must promptly inform the Commission of any changes to their name, address, or office bearers.
Cleaning up the Electoral System: ECI Delists 334 RUPPs
Read in detail: https://t.co/qlam3VRcBX pic.twitter.com/hbZDF2fnDZ
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 9, 2025
Explaining its decision, in June 2025, the Commission directed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) in States and Union Territories to verify the compliance of 345 RUPPs. The enquiries involved field checks, issuance of show-cause notices, and opportunities for personal hearings. Reports submitted by the CEOs revealed that 334 parties had failed to meet the basic criteria, while the remaining cases were sent back for reverification.
Based on these findings, the ECI formally delisted the non-compliant parties, reducing the total number of RUPPs from 2,854 to 2,520.
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