**Summary:**
On August 9, 2025, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the delisting of 334 Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) as part of its ongoing effort to clean up the electoral system. This action follows verification enquiries conducted by the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of States and Union Territories (UTs) regarding 345 RUPPs. These enquiries assessed compliance with Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and guidelines requiring parties to contest elections regularly (every six years) and to keep the ECI updated on details such as name, address, and office bearers.
The CEOs issued show-cause notices and provided opportunities for personal hearings. Based on the CEOs' reports, the ECI determined that 334 RUPPs were non-compliant. The remaining cases have been referred back to the CEOs for reverification. Following this delisting, 2520 RUPPs remain from an initial total of 2854.
Delisted RUPPs will no longer be eligible for benefits under Section 29B and Section 29C of the RP Act, 1951, the Income Tax Act, 1961, and the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. Parties aggrieved by this order may appeal to the Commission within 30 days.
Currently, there are 6 National Parties and 67 State Parties registered with the ECI. The six recognized National Parties are Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, and National People's Party. A comprehensive list of recognized State Parties is included in the annexure.
Key Entities Referenced
Election Commission of India: The Election Commission of India (ECI), the constitutional body responsible for conducting elections in India, which delisted 334 Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs).
Registered Unrecognized Political Parties: Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) are political parties registered with the Election Commission of India but do not meet the criteria to be recognized as either a National or State party.
Representation of the People Act, 1951: The Representation of the People Act, 1951, is an act of Parliament of India that provides for the conduct of elections to the Houses of Parliament and to the Legislative Assembly of each State.
Chief Electoral Officers of States/Union Territories: Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of States and Union Territories, who were directed by the ECI to conduct verification enquiries of RUPPs.
Income Tax Act, 1961: The Income Tax Act, 1961, is an act of the Parliament of India that governs the imposition, collection, and administration of income tax in India.
Election Symbols Reservation and Allotment Order, 1968: The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, issued by the Election Commission of India, deals with the recognition of political parties and the allotment of election symbols.
Aam Aadmi Party: A recognized National Party in India.
Bharatiya Janata Party: A recognized National Party in India.
Election Commission
Cleaning up the Electoral System: ECI Delists 334
RUPPs
Posted On: 09 AUG 2025 4:22PM 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 195
2. At present, there are 6 National Parties, 67 State Parties and 2854 Registered Unrecognized Political
Parties (RUPPs) registered with ECI. (Annexure: List of National & State Parties)
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. In addition, as per Section 29A of the RP Act 1951, parties at the time of their registration have to give
details like name, address, office bearers etc. and any change has to be communicated to the
Commission without delay.
5. Earlier, in June 2025, ECI had directed the CEOs of States & UTs to conduct verification enquiries of
345 RUPPs regarding compliance with the above conditions.
6. CEOs conducted enquiries, issued show-cause notices to these RUPPs and provided each party an
opportunity to respond and present their case through personal hearings.
7. Thereafter, based on reports of the CEOs, 334 RUPPs out of the total of 345 RUPPs have been found
not complying with the above conditions. The remaining cases have been referred back to the CEOs for
reverification.
8. The Commission, after considering all the facts and recommendations of the CEOs, has delisted
334 RUPPs (Link: https://www.eci.gov.in/list-of-political-parties). Now, out of the total of 2854
RUPPs, 2520 are remaining. This delisting exercise is part of a comprehensive and continuous
strategy of the Election Commission to clean up the electoral system.
9. These RUPPs will now not be eligible to avail any benefit under the provisions of Section 29B and
Section 29C of the RP Act, 1951 read with the relevant provisions of the Income Tax Act,1961 and the
Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. Any party aggrieved by this order can
appeal to the Commission within 30 days of the order.
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PK/GDH/RP
Annexure
Recognized National Parties
S. No. Name of Political Party
1 Aam Aadmi Party
2 Bahujan Samaj Party
3 Bharatiya Janata Party
4 Communist Party of India (Marxist)
5 Indian National Congress6 National People's Party
Recognized State Parties
S. No. Name of Political Party S. No. Name of Political Party
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra
1 AJSU Party 2
Kazhagam
3 All India Forward Bloc 4 All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen
5 All India N.R. Congress 6 All India Trinamool Congress
All India United Democratic
7 8 Apna Dal (Soneylal)
Front
9 Asom Gana Parishad 10 Bharat Adivasi Party
11 Bharat Rashtra Samithi 12 Biju Janata Dal
13 Bodoland Peoples Front 14 Citizen Action Party - Sikkim
Communist Party of India (Marxist
15 Communist Party of India 16
Leninist) (Liberation)
Desiya Murpokku Dravida
17 18 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Kazhagam
19 Goa Forward Party 20 Hill State People’s Democratic Party
21 Indian National Lok Dal 22 Indian Union Muslim League
Indigenous People’s Front of Jammu & Kashmir National
23 24
Tripura Conference
Jammu & Kashmir National Jammu & Kashmir Peoples
25 26
Panthers Party Democratic Party
27 Janasena Party 28 Janata Dal (Secular)
29 Janata Dal (United) 30 Jannayak Janta Party
J a n t a C o n g r e s s
31 32 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
Chhattisgarh(J)
33 Kerala Congress 34 Kerala Congress (M)
35 Lok Janshakti Party 36 Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)
37 Maharashtra Navnirman Sena 38 Maharashtrawadi Gomantak
39 Mizo National Front 40 Naam Tamilar Katchi
41 Naga People's Front 42 Nationalist Congress Party
Nationalist Congress Party – Nationalist Democratic Progressive
43 44
Sharadchandra Pawar Party
45 People’s Democratic Front 46 People's Party of Arunachal
47 Rashtriya Janata Dal 48 Rashtriya Lok Samta Party
49 Rashtriya Loktantrik Party 50 Republican Party of India (Athawale)51 Revolutionary Goans Party 52 Revolutionary Socialist Party
53 Samajwadi Party 54 Shiromani Akali Dal
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb
55 Shiv Sena 56
Thackrey)
57 Sikkim Democratic Front 58 Sikkim Krantikari Morcha
59 Telugu Desam Party 60 Tipra Motha Party
61 United Democratic Party 62 United People’s Party, Liberal
63 Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi 64 Voice of the People Party
Yuvajana Sramika Rythu
65 66 Zoram Nationalist Party
Congress Party
67 Zoram People’s Movement
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(Release ID: 2154665)