Recently , the Election Commission of India (ECI) initiated proceedings to delist 476 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) for six years of electoral inactivity.

• Need for Delisting: Many RUPPs have remained inactive, failing to contest any election for six consecutive years, yet continue to enjoy privileges such as tax exemptions and election symbols.
• Delisting Powers of the ECI: Under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA), the ECI has the authority to register political parties and remove those violating guidelines, including prolonged non-participation in elections.
  • The process involves issuing show-cause notices before a final decision.
  • ECI has instructed the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of the respective states and union territories to issue show-cause notices to the identified RUPPs

What are RUPPs ?

• RUPPS are political organizations that are officially registered with the ECI under Section 29A of the RPA 1951,  but do not meet the criteria to be recognised as either State or National parties.
  • Examples: Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM), Hindustan Nirman Dal (HND), Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), etc.

Process of Registering a Political Party

• Legal Framework: Section 29A of the RPA, 1951 lays down conditions for political party registration with the ECI.
  • A party must submit its memorandum/constitution to the ECI within 30 days of formation.
  • The document must affirm allegiance to Constitution of India, Principles of socialism, secularism, democracy, Sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India,
  • ECI ensures internal democracy such as  periodic elections for office bearers within the party.
• Post-Approval Status: These are registered as Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs).

Benefits Enjoyed by RUPPs

• Tax Exemption: Under Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961.Election Symbol: Allowed to choose from a pool of free symbols as per the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 by submitting 10 preferred options.
• Campaign Leverage: Can nominate 20 star campaigners for election campaigns

Political Parties in India

• Total Registered Parties: As of August 2025, India has 2,520 registered political parties, after recent delisting drives by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

• National Parties (6)
  • Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
  • Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
  • Communist Party of India (CPI)
  • Communist Party of India (Marxist) – CPI(M)
  • Indian National Congress (INC)
  • Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
• State Parties( Total 67 ) (Multiple, varies by state)
• • Recognised in specific states; enjoy state-level privileges.
  • Examples: All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) (West Bengal),  Janata Dal (United) – JD(U)( Bihar) , Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) (Punjab),  Shiv Sena (SHS) (Maharashtra)

Challenges regarding RUPPs

• Misuse of Tax Exemptions: Many RUPPs are just letter pad parties that exploit Section 13A of the Income Tax Act to claim tax benefits despite having no electoral participation.
• Internal Democracy Concerns: Inner-party elections and transparency lacking in many parties.
• Legal Constraints:
  • ECI has no explicit power to de-register a party under the RP Act.
  • Supreme Court in Indian National Congress vs. Institute of Social Welfare & Ors, 2002 case directed that ECI can only de-register in exceptional cases.
• Existing Gaps: RPA  lacks de-registration provisions for:
• • Not contesting elections
  • Not holding inner-party elections
  • Not submitting financial reports

Recommendations

• Law Commission’s 255th Report (2015): Recommended deregistration if a party fails to contest elections for 10 years.
• ECI’s 2016 Proposal:  It suggested RPA amendment to empower it with de-registration authority.
• The Law Commission (170th and 255th Reports): Recommended embedding internal democracy provisions within the RPA.

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