Election Commission Cancels Registration of 808 Unrecognized Political Parties in Major Crackdown

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Election Commission has taken strict action against unrecognized political parties by cancelling the registration of 474 parties. Earlier in August, the Commission had also deregistered 334 parties. Thus, a total of 808 political parties have been deregistered in just two months.

Why was the action taken?

According to the Representation of the People Act, 1951, any registered political party is required to participate in the electoral process. If a party abstains from elections for six consecutive years, its registration is cancelled. The Election Commission has taken this action under these rules.

It's worth noting that registered political parties receive a variety of concessions, including tax exemptions. Many parties haven't contested elections for the past six years, yet were still benefiting from these concessions. The Election Commission has now tightened its grip on such parties. The Election Commission has intensified its campaign against such inactive parties since 2019. The first round of action took place on August 9th, while the second phase concluded on September 18th. So far, a total of 808 parties have been deregistered.