Paper: GS – II, Subject: Polity, Topic: Election and RPA, Issue: Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs).
Context:
The Election Commission of India’s (ECI) recent actions regarding the de-listing of Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs). It explains the requirements for registering a political party, the benefits enjoyed by RUPPs, and the ECI’s power to de-register parties.
Key Takeaways:
| Features and Criteria for Recognised Political Parties: State Party: A registered party must meet any one of the following: 6% Vote + 2 Assembly Seats: The party must secure at least 6% of the valid votes polled in the Legislative Assembly election and win at least 2 seats in that Assembly.6% Vote + 1 Lok Sabha Seat: It must win at least 6% of valid votes in the Lok Sabha election held in that state and secure 1 seat in Lok Sabha from that state. 3% of Assembly Seats or 3 Seats Minimum: The party must win at least 3% of the total Assembly seats, or at least 3 seats (whichever is higher) in the Legislative Assembly. 1 of Every 25 Lok Sabha Seats: The party must win 1 Lok Sabha seat out of every 25 seats allocated to the state. 8% Vote Share: It must secure at least 8% of the total valid votes in a state, either in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, even if it wins no seats. National Party: A registered party must meet any one of the following: 6% Vote in 4 States + 4 Lok Sabha Seats: The party must secure at least 6% of valid votes in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections in four or more states, and win at least 4 Lok Sabha seats from any states. 2% Lok Sabha Seats from 3 States: It must win at least 2% of the total Lok Sabha seats (currently 11 out of 543), and those seats must be from at least 3 different states.Recognized as State Party in 4 States: If a party is recognized as a State Party in four or more states, it automatically qualifies as a National Party. |
Benefits Enjoyed by Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs):
The RUPPs enjoy the following benefits:
- Tax exemption for donations received under Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
- A common symbol for contesting general elections to the Lok Sabha/State Assemblies.
- 20 ‘star campaigners’ during election campaigns.
RUPPs are required to maintain the details of individual donors who have donated above ₹20,000 in a financial year and submit these details to the ECI every year.
- As per Section 29C of the RP Act, failure to furnish these details will result in losing income tax exemption.
- The RUPPs under the Income Tax Act, 1961, are further required to accept donations in excess of ₹2,000 only through cheque or bank transfers.
The Issue of De-Listing Political Parties:
The ECI has initiated steps to de-list 345 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) that have not contested elections in the last six years and whose offices could not be physically located.
- As per ECI notification, there are more than 2,800 RUPPs in India as of May 2025.
- However, only around 750 of them contested the 2024 general elections.
- It has resulted in the moniker “letter pad parties” for the rest of the RUPPs.
Structural and Functional Issues with Registered Unrecognised Political Parties:
Conclusion:
- The ECI’s de-listing initiative aims to streamline the political environment by targeting inactive RUPPs, which could be misusing benefits like tax exemptions and funding.
- Legislative recommendations and reforms are necessary to provide the ECI with more robust tools for managing party registrations effectively and ensuring constitutional allegiance and healthy party democracy.
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