ECI Issues Notices: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated a stringent review of registered political parties across the country. While several parties have received recognition from the Commission and participated in elections over the years, a large number have remained inactive despite enjoying official status.
According to official data, the ECI has identified 345 such registered political parties nationwide that have not participated in any elections in recent years. As per the guidelines, political parties must apply to the ECI for registration, and upon verification of documents, they are recognized and allotted a party symbol. This recognition also grants them access to government media platforms for campaign-related communication. However, regular participation in elections is a mandatory requirement for maintaining registration.
Due to non-compliance with this requirement, the ECI has decided to take action against these 345 inactive parties. Show-cause notices have been issued to them through the respective Chief Electoral Officers of their states. After examining the responses, the Commission will proceed to cancel their registration if found unsatisfactory.
As part of this move, five political parties based in Odisha have received notices for possible deregistration. These include Utkal Bharat, Socialist Workers Party, People’s Party of India (Secular), Odisha Socialist Party, and Veer Odia Party. The notices state that these parties have not contested any election in the past six years and therefore must explain why their registration should not be cancelled.
The parties have been asked to submit a written response by July 18, and to appear in person before the Chief Electoral Officer at 11:00 AM on July 21 at the Bhubaneswar office to present their case. The Commission has also stated that failure to respond or appear will result in the cancellation of their registration without further notice.
This move by the ECI is seen as a step toward maintaining transparency and accountability in the political process by ensuring that only active and participating political parties remain on the official register.
