Big Move by Election Commission: 334 Parties Lose Registration Before Bihar Elections

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Election Commission took a big step on Saturday and cancelled the registration of 334 unrecognized political parties i.e. RUPP. These parties had not contested a single election since 2019 and neither could any physical address of their offices be found. In such a situation, these parties did not fulfill the mandatory conditions to remain as a registered unregistered political party. This step of the Commission before the Bihar Assembly elections is being considered an important initiative towards cleaning up the political system.

RUPP i.e. Registered Unrecognised Political Parties are those political parties which are registered with the Election Commission, but have not received national or state level recognition. These parties are registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act 1951 in India. After registration, they get some special benefits like tax exemption. There were a total of 2,854 RUPPs in the country, out of which now 2,520 are left after the action of the Election Commission. The Election Commission removed these 334 parties because they did not participate in either the Lok Sabha, state assembly or by-elections since 2019. No physical existence of the offices of these parties was found. When the Commission investigated, these parties were limited to papers only. Some RUPPs were earlier found to be violating income tax rules and anti-money laundering laws.

The Election Commission was earlier prevented by the Supreme Court from 'cancelling recognition' of political parties, as there is no provision for it in the law. But the Commission found a way of 'delisting'. Delisting means that these parties have been removed from the list of registered parties. According to the rules of the Election Commission, under Section 29A of the Representation Act, 1951 and the Election Symbol (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, if any registered party does not participate in Lok Sabha, Assembly or local body elections for 6 consecutive years, its registration can be cancelled. However, these parties can apply for re-registration without a new recognition process. There are now 6 national parties, 67 state level parties and 2,520 RUPPs left in the country. The Commission has done such cleaning 3-4 times since 2001. This time action was started against 345 parties in June 2025, out of which the registration of 334 was cancelled. Delisted parties will no longer be able to field their candidates in the elections. This step is also important before the Bihar elections because it will increase transparency in the political process and curb fake parties. In fact, such parties often exist only on paper and may be involved in tax exemptions, money laundering or other illegal activities.