The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken a significant step towards purifying the electoral system by removing 334 Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) from its list on Saturday, August 9th. These parties, which were availing themselves of privileges and benefits like tax exemptions, had failed to fulfill the mandatory requirement of contesting an election in the past six years since 2019. This action was taken to cleanse the political landscape and remove entities that have been inactive.
The RUPPs are spread across various states and union territories of the country. All political parties in India (national/state/RUPPs) are registered with the ECI under the provisions of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Under this provision, organizations, upon registration as political parties, are entitled to certain privileges and benefits, including tax exemptions.
