PANAJI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated proceedings to delist Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) in Goa that have failed to contest even a single election since 2019 and whose offices could not be physically located.
In the first phase of this exercise, four RUPPs from Goa have been flagged for delisting. These include the Goa Nationalist Party, based at Chinchmala in Sattari; the Goa Praja Party, based at Ella in Old Goa; Goemcarancho Otrec Asro, located in Mugally, Sao Jose de Areal; and the United Goans Party, based in Gramilo Apartment, Dondrem, Taleigao.
According to a statement issued by the Department of Information & Publicity, in a nationwide exercise to clean up the political system, the Commission observed that many of the over 2,800 RUPPs currently registered with the ECI have not fulfilled the essential conditions required to retain their status. So far, 345 such parties have been identified across the country.
The exercise targets parties that have not contested any election to the Lok Sabha or the Legislative Assemblies of States and Union Territories since 2019, as well as those that cannot be physically traced.
To ensure due process, Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of the respective States and Union Territories have been instructed to issue show-cause notices to the identified parties. Each party will be allowed to respond and present its case in a hearing conducted by the concerned CEO. The final decision on delisting will rest with the Election Commission of India.
