New Delhi: Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued show cause notices to 27 inactive political parties following the Election Commission’s directions, seeking an explanation for their continued registration, officials on Friday said.
These notices have been issued to the political parties that have not fielded any candidates in Lok Sabha, state assembly or by-elections during the last six years (since 2019), they said. These Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) include names like All India Jan Congress Party, Akhil Bharatiya Samjawadi Congress and All India Women United Party.
Although these parties are registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, they have not participated in any electoral activities in recent years, suggesting they are no longer functioning as per the provisions of the Act, said an official statement.
Hence, the Election Commission has under Article 324 of the Constitution of India and Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, initiated the process to delist such parties from the list of registered political parties, it added.
“The CEO has requested all concerned parties to submit their response within the stipulated time, clarifying why their names should not be removed from the list. If no reply is received within the given time, it will be presumed that the party has nothing to say on the matter and the Commission will proceed with appropriate action without any further notice,” the statement said. The Election Commission is giving the concerned parties an opportunity to present their side before any final action is taken, it added.
The parties may submit their representation in writing, duly signed by the party president or the general secretary under oath, along with all supporting documents the party wishes to rely upon, the statement said.
All such documents must reach the office of the Chief Electoral Officer by July 18, it added. The hearing date for the concerned parties has been fixed for July 15. The party’s president/general secretary/leader must appear in person on the scheduled date, the statement said.