**Summary:**
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is continuing its initiative to clean up the electoral system by delisting Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) that have not met the mandatory requirement of contesting an election in the past six years. This action is taken under the provisions of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which grants registered parties certain privileges.
As of August 11, 2025, the ECI has initiated proceedings to delist another 476 RUPPs, following the delisting of 334 RUPPs on August 9, 2025. This initial action reduced the total number of listed RUPPs from 2,854 to 2,520. The 476 RUPPs identified in the second round span various states and union territories.
To ensure due process, Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of the respective States/UTs have been instructed to issue show-cause notices to these RUPPs, offering them an opportunity for a hearing. The final decision regarding delisting will be made by the ECI based on the reports submitted by the CEOs.
The state-wise distribution of the 476 RUPPs under consideration for delisting is provided in the annexure. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of RUPPs (121), followed by Andhra Pradesh (173) and Maharashtra (44). Delhi and Tamil Nadu have 41 and 42 respectively.
Key Entities Referenced
Election Commission of India: The primary organization responsible for conducting elections and maintaining the electoral system in India, taking measures to delist Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs).
Registered Unrecognized Political Parties: Political parties registered with the Election Commission of India (ECI) that have not met the criteria to be recognized as state or national parties, and are subject to delisting if they fail to contest elections.
Representation of the People Act 1951: An act of the Parliament of India that governs the actual conduct of elections to the Houses of Parliament and the State Legislatures, the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of those Houses, and other aspects of the electoral process. Section 29A is specifically mentioned regarding the registration of political parties.
Chief Electoral Officers of the States/Union Territories: The officers responsible for overseeing elections at the state and union territory level, tasked with issuing show-cause notices and conducting hearings for RUPPs potentially facing delisting.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India where 173 RUPPs have been identified for potential delisting.
Uttar Pradesh: A state in India where 121 RUPPs have been identified for potential delisting.
Tamil Nadu: A state in India where 42 RUPPs have been identified for potential delisting.
Maharashtra: A state in India where 44 RUPPs have been identified for potential delisting.
Election Commission
Cleaning up of the Electoral System Continues
ECI starts proceedings to delist another 476 RUPPs
Posted On: 11 AUG 2025 5:17PM by PIB Delhi
1. Political Parties (National/State/RUPPs) in the country are registered with the ECI under the provisions
of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act 1951.
2. Under provisions of the Act, any association once registered as a political party, gets certain privileges
and advantages such as symbol, tax exemptions amongst others.
3. Guidelines for registration of Political Parties mention that if the party does not contest elections
continuously for 6 years, the party shall be taken off the list of registered parties.
4. As part of a comprehensive and continuous strategy of the Election Commission to clean up the
electoral system, ECI has been conducting a nationwide exercise to identify and delist Registered
Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) which have failed to fulfil the essential condition of contesting
even a single election for 6 years continuously, since 2019.
5. In the first round of this exercise, ECI has already delisted 334 RUPPs on 9th August 2025 bringing
down the number of listed RUPPs from 2,854 to 2,520.
6. As part of second round of the exercise, another 476 RUPPs have been identified, which are from
different States and UTs across the country. (Annexure)
7. 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.
8. Based on the reports of the CEOs, the final decision regarding the delisting of any RUPP shall be taken
by the Election Commission of India.
******
PK/GDH/RP
Annexure
State-wise distribution of RUPPs
SI No. State/UT No. of RUPPs
1 Andaman & Nicobar Island 1
2 Andhra Pradesh 173 Assam 3
4 Bihar 15
5 Chandigarh 1
6 Chhattisgarh 7
7 Delhi 41
8 Goa 5
9 Gujarat 10
10 Haryana 17
11 Himachal Pradesh 2
12 Jammu & Kashmir 12
13 Jharkhand 5
14 Karnataka 10
15 Kerala 11
16 Madhya Pradesh 23
17 Maharashtra 44
18 Manipur 2
19 Meghalaya 4
20 Mizoram 2
21 Nagaland 2
22 Odisha 7
23 Punjab 21
24 Rajasthan 18
25 Tamil Nadu 42
26 Telangana 9
27 Tripura 1
28 Uttar Pradesh 121
29 Uttarakhand 11
30 West Bengal 12
Total 476
(Release ID: 2155101)