Why in News On September 19, 2025, the Election Commission of India (ECI) delisted 474 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) in the second phase of its ongoing electoral system overhaul aimed at cleaning up the registry of political parties by removing inactive and non-compliant entities.

DELISTING

  • Delisted Parties in Phase 2: 474 RUPPs (delisted on September 18, 2025)
  • Delisted Parties in Phase 1 (August 9, 2025): 334 RUPPs
  • Total RUPPs delisted in last 2 months: 808
  • Remaining Registered Unrecognised Political Parties: 2,046

ABOUT REGISTERED UNRECOGNISED POLITICAL PARTIES

  • RUPPs are parties that are:
    • Newly registered
    • Have not secured required vote share to become state parties
    • Have never contested elections since registration
  • Despite lack of recognition, RUPPs enjoy benefits such as:
    • Tax exemptions under Section 13A of Income Tax Act
    • Eligibility for common poll symbols (on condition of contesting at least 5% of total candidates in the relevant Legislative Assembly election)
    • Permission to nominate up to 20 star campaigners
  • Obligations of RUPPs:
    • Contest elections periodically
    • File annual audit accounts and contribution reports
    • Disclose donations exceeding ₹20,000 and prohibit accepting cash donations above ₹2,000

ABOUT REGISTERED POLITICAL PARTIES

  • Registration under Section 29A of the RPA, 1951, provides legal recognition and several privileges.
  • Registered parties can accept donations voluntarily offered by persons or companies (except government companies).
  • Registered parties get priority in the allotment of election symbols. Independent candidates do not get this benefit.
  • Registered parties can apply for recognition as State or National parties, subject to meeting criteria prescribed by the EC.
CONDITIONS FOR RECOGNITION AS A STATE PARTY A party is recognized as a State Party if it fulfils any one of the following in a state:
  • Wins 3% of seats in the Legislative Assembly in a General Election
  • Wins one Lok Sabha seat for every 25 Lok Sabha seats allotted to the state
  • Secures a minimum of 6% votes in the state and wins one Lok Sabha or two Legislative Assembly seats
  • Secures 8% votes in the state in the General Election to Lok Sabha or Assembly
CONDITIONS FOR RECOGNITION AS A NATIONAL PARTY A party is recognized as a National Party if it meets any one of the following:
  • Secures at least 6% votes in four or more states in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, and has at least four Lok Sabha members
  • Has at least 2% of total Lok Sabha seats with candidates from at least three states
  • Is recognized as a state party in at least four states
Note: National and State parties must continue to meet these conditions in subsequent elections to retain their status, or else they lose recognition.

LEGAL PLATFORM FOR REGISTRATION & DELISTING

  • Political parties are registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951.
  • Registration offers benefits such as:
    • Reserved electoral symbols (based on party recognition)
    • Tax exemptions under Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961
    • Eligibility for common poll symbols (subject to contesting minimum number of candidates
    • Permission to nominate up to 20 star campaigners
  • Guideline for delisting: Parties that do not contest elections for six consecutive years are liable to be removed from the register.

REASONS FOR DELISTING

  • Non-contestation of elections for 6 consecutive years
  • Failure to submit Annual Audited Accounts for the financial years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24
  • Failure to file Election Expenditure Reports despite contesting elections
  • The 359 RUPPs with financial non-compliance are spread across 23 States and Union Territories.

DELISTING PROCEDURE

  • The Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of the concerned States/Union Territories issue show-cause notices to the parties identified for delisting.
  • Parties are provided an opportunity for a hearing to explain their non-compliance or inactivity.
  • Final decision on delisting is taken by the Election Commission based on CEO reports and party responses.

SIGNIFICANCE OF DELISTING

  • Enhances transparency and accountability in the political system
  • Ensures that only active and compliant parties enjoy privileges such as election symbols and tax benefits
  • Discourages the proliferation of dummy or inactive political parties
  • Strengthens the integrity of India’s democratic electoral framework