ECI Delists 474 More Political Parties for Failing to Contest Elections

September 19, 2025

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has intensified its ongoing drive to clean up the electoral system by delisting another 474 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) for failing to contest elections continuously for six years.

808 Parties Delisted Since August

The Commission, in a press note issued on Friday, said that with this second phase of action, a total of 808 RUPPs have been removed from the list since August 2025. Earlier, on August 9, 334 RUPPs were delisted in the first phase of the exercise.

Legal Framework and Guidelines

Under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, political parties are granted privileges such as election symbols and tax exemptions upon registration. However, guidelines stipulate that if a party fails to contest any election for six consecutive years, it must be removed from the register.

State-Wise Impact

The latest round of delisting, conducted on September 18, saw the maximum number of RUPPs axed from Uttar Pradesh (121), followed by Maharashtra (44), Tamil Nadu (42), and Delhi (40). Punjab (21), Madhya Pradesh (23), Bihar (15), and Andhra Pradesh (17) also featured prominently.

Proceedings Against Non-Compliant Parties

In addition, the ECI has initiated proceedings against 359 RUPPs across 23 states and UTs for failing to submit audited accounts for three consecutive years (2021-22 to 2023-24) and not filing election expenditure reports despite contesting polls. Uttar Pradesh (127), Delhi (41), and Tamil Nadu (39) accounted for most of these cases.

Show-Cause Notices and Hearings

The Commission has directed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) in the respective states and UTs to issue show-cause notices to the identified parties. Hearings will be conducted before any final decision on delisting is made.

“In order to ensure that no party is unduly delisted, the CEOs of the respective States/UTs have been directed to issue show-cause notices to these RUPPs, following which, the parties will be given an opportunity through a hearing by the concerned CEOs,” it said.

“The ECI takes the final decision on delisting of any RUPP based on the reports of the CEOs,” the Commission clarified.