Jammu Kashmir Among States Facing RUPP Delisting, 12 Parties Under Scrutiny

SRINAGAR: The Election Commission of India has intensified its ongoing exercise to clean up the electoral system by identifying inactive Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs). As part of this nationwide campaign, it has been revealed that Jammu and Kashmir currently has 12 such RUPPs on its rolls.

Political parties in the country are registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Registration gives them privileges such as allocation of symbols and tax exemptions. However, the guidelines clearly state that if a registered party does not contest elections for six continuous years, it can be removed from the list.

In recent months, the Commission has delisted hundreds of parties across the country for failing to meet this condition. In the first phase, 334 RUPPs were struck off on August 9, 2025. A second round on September 18, 2025 led to the removal of another 474 RUPPs, taking the total number of delisted parties to 808 in just two months.

The Commission has now identified 359 more RUPPs spread across 23 states and Union Territories that have contested elections but failed to submit mandatory financial documents, including annual audited accounts for the last three financial years and election expenditure reports. Jammu and Kashmir’s 12 RUPPs are part of this wider list under scrutiny.

Chief Electoral Officers of the respective states and Union Territories have been directed to issue show-cause notices to these parties. The parties will then be given an opportunity to present their case in hearings before any final decision on delisting is taken.

The Election Commission said the move is part of a comprehensive and continuous strategy to ensure transparency and accountability in the political process.