Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India has initiated the third phase of its nationwide drive to weed out non-compliant political outfits, deciding to delist 10 more registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) from Telangana. These parties failed to submit mandatory audit reports and have not contested any election for six consecutive years. According to the Telangana chief electoral office, the first phase of the exercise saw 13 RUPPs delisted in the state, followed by nine more in the second phase. “In the third phase, show-cause notices are being issued to 10 more RUPPs,” officials said. The 10 parties identified are: Bahujana Rashtra Samithi (Secunderabad), Indian Rakshaka Nayakudu Party (Mahabubnagar), Jai Maha Bharath Party (Mahabubnagar), Jai Swaraj Party (Hyderabad), Majlis Markaz-e-Siyasee Party (Hyderabad), Nava Praja Rajyam Party (Adilabad), New India Party (Karimnagar), Praja Swaraj Party (Hyderabad), Shramajeevi Party (Secunderabad), and Telangana Inti Party (Nalgonda). The cleanup is part of a larger ECI strategy launched in 2019. On Aug 9, the commission removed 334 RUPPs nationwide, including 13 in Telangana. The second phase saw 474 more parties delisted, with nine from Telangana. Proceedings have now started against 359 additional parties, including the 10 from Telangana. Grounds for delisting The commission clarified that registered political parties enjoy privileges such as a reserved election symbol and tax exemptions. However, guidelines require them to contest elections at least once in six years and regularly submit audited accounts. The latest action also targets those that failed to file audited annual accounts for 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24, or did not submit expenditure reports despite contesting elections. The Telangana chief electoral officer has been directed to issue show-cause notices, giving the parties an opportunity to explain before a final decision is taken based on the CEO’s report. “Cleaning up of the electoral system continues,” the commission said, adding that the effort is to ensure that only active and compliant parties remain on the rolls.
