New Delhi [India], June 26 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated proceedings to delist 345 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) that have remained completely inactive for the past six years, marking the beginning of a comprehensive cleanup of the country's political system.

The decision was announced by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, targeting parties that have failed to contest even a single election since 2019 and whose offices could not be physically located.

Of the over 2,800 RUPPs currently registered with the ECI, many have failed to fulfil essential conditions required to maintain their status as registered political parties. The Commission conducted a nationwide exercise to identify such dormant entities, with 345 parties already flagged in the first phase of this cleanup drive.

'This exercise has been conducted with the aim of cleaning up the political system,' the ECI stated in its official press release. The delisting targets parties that have not participated in Lok Sabha elections, state Legislative Assembly elections, or even bye-elections since 2019.

To ensure fairness, the Commission has directed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of respective states and Union Territories to issue show-cause notices to the identified parties. These RUPPs will be given an opportunity for a hearing before the concerned CEOs, with the final delisting decision resting with the Election Commission of India.

Political parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act 1951 enjoy various privileges, including tax exemptions. The current cleanup aims to prevent misuse of these benefits by entities that exist only on paper without any electoral participation.

The ECI emphasised that this represents just the first phase of the cleanup exercise, which will continue with the objective of streamlining India's political landscape. The 345 RUPPs identified span across different states and Union Territories throughout the country.

The move comes as part of broader electoral reforms aimed at maintaining the integrity of India's democratic institutions and ensuring that registered political parties actively participate in the electoral process rather than merely enjoying the benefits of registration without fulfilling their democratic responsibilities. (ANI)