News Highlights
The Election Commission decided to delete 111 Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) from register as part of poll panel’s graded action parties that flouted its rules.
Focus Points
- The EC had deleted 87 Registered Unrecognized Political Parties RUPPs in May after announcing a clean-up drive against more than 2,100 such parties
- The poll panel has also sent a reference to the revenue department for necessary legal and criminal action against three RUPPs that it said were involved in “serious financial impropriety”.
- There are 2,796 RUPPs, according to EC’s data till September 2021, an increase of more than 300% since 2001.
- The EC has for long been seeking powers to deregister political parties.
- The poll panel has also been seeking modification to Form 24A to mandate disclosure of all donations above Rs 2,000 instead of the current Rs 20,000.
Reason For Action
- 92% of the then listed 2,354 RUPPs did not file their contribution reports in 2019.
- 199 RUPPs claimed Rs 445 Cr IT exemption in 2018-19
- 219 RUPPs claimed Rs 608 Cr IT exemption in 2019-20.
- 87RUPPs found to be not in existence
- For the year 2019, 2056 RUPPs have not yet filed their Annual Audited Accounts.
- In GE 2019, out of 2354 RUPPs only 623 contested elections⁓70% RUPPs did not contest elections
- Out of 115 RUPPs which contested Assembly elections of 2021, only 15 RUPPs have filed their Election Expenditure Statement till date.
The Provisions Registered Unrecognised Political Parties must have to follow
- Section 29 C Of RP Act 1951:
- Requires a RUPP to furnish a contribution report as prescribed in Form 24 A under Rule 85 B of Conduct of Election Rules 1961.
- Such contributions received by RUPPs are also 100%exempted from Income Tax as an incentive to the parties for strengthening the electoral democracy.
- Section 29A(9):
- Mandates every political party to communicate any change in its name, head office, office bearers, address, PAN number to the Commission without delay.
- The commission further directed the political parties to participate in the electoral processes within five years of its registration followed by
- ‘furnishing their election expenditure statement within 75 days, in case of assembly elections
- And within 90 days, in case of Lok Sabha elections’.
Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs)
- Either newly registered parties or those which have not secured enough percentage of votes in assembly or general elections to become a state party, or those which have never contested elections since being registered are considered unrecognised parties.
- Such parties enjoyed only a limited benefits as compare to recognised parties
Content Source: The Hindu