ECI Removes 474 Unrecognised Parties for Rule Violations

Swift Summary

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the de-listing of 474 registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) for flouting norms, including not contesting elections in the last six years.
• This marks the second phase of an ongoing exercise, with the first phase resulting in the de-listing of 334 RUPPs on August 9.
• In total, 808 RUPPs have been de-listed over two months.
• Previously, there were 2,520 RUPPs; following this exercise, only 2,046 remain active.
• There are six recognised national parties and 67 recognised State parties still listed by the ECI.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The ECI’s action to streamline its list of registered unrecognised political parties is a significant administrative step aimed at maintaining electoral discipline and reducing non-functional entities from cluttering India’s democratic space.Parties that continuously fail to contest elections can hinder transparency and efficiency within electoral processes while possibly raising concerns over compliance with financial or operational obligations.By paring down inactive political entities, this move fosters accountability while building trust in public institutions responsible for governance oversight. However,this should also encourage better regulation and monitoring frameworks going forward to ensure legitimacy among remaining active entities without infringing upon their autonomy or right to participate in democracy.

Read more: Election commission’s De-listing Explained

!Image: Election Commission Action