EC de-lists 12 political outfits in J&K for flouting electoral norms

JAMMU, Sept 19: In a sweeping move aimed at cleansing the electoral rolls of non-functional outfits, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has de-listed 12 registered but unrecognised political parties from Jammu and Kashmir for failing to adhere to the mandatory provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

According to the Commission, these parties had not participated in any electoral exercise for the last six years, a lapse that strips them of their right to remain on the official list of registered outfits. The ECI explained that the action is part of a nationwide clean-up campaign designed to identify dormant entities, many of which exist only on paper.

At the national level, the Commission has intensified this drive in phases. On August 9, 334 such political organisations were struck off the rolls, and in the second phase concluded today, another 474 were removed. Together, a total of 808 registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) have been de-listed in just two months. The ECI clarified that the reasons ranged from prolonged non-participation in elections to the inability of several parties to be traced at their registered addresses.

Until recently, India had 2,520 RUPPs on its electoral list. Following the latest exercise, 2,046 remain, in addition to six recognised national parties and 67 state parties. The Commission maintains that this initiative is not merely an administrative overhaul but also a step towards strengthening electoral integrity by ensuring only genuine political actors remain in the system.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the following 12 political parties have been struck off the list:

• Nature Mankind Friendly Global Party – led by former PDP–Congress minister Jatinder Singh alias Babu Singh.
• Jammu and Kashmir National Democratic Front – founded by former MP Abdul Rashid Kabuli, who had once won the 1977 Assembly elections with Awami Action Committee support before later joining the BJP.
• Duggar Pradesh Party – headed by the late Uday Chand, Senior Vice-President of Kissan Sabha, and 2014 Assembly election candidate from Jammu West.
• Jammu and Kashmir Save Party – formed in 2014 by GH Dar.
• Jammu State Morcha (Progressive) – contested 13 seats in the 2008 Assembly polls and one in 2014.
• All J&K Kissan Majdoor Party.
• Backward Classes Democratic Party J&K.
• Front of Revolutionised Creative Efforts.
• Jammu and Kashmir People’s Party (Secular).
• Kashmir Development Front (J&K).
• Secular Party of India.
• Social Movement Party.

The Election Commission clarified that the de-listing was necessitated not only by electoral inactivity but also because several of these outfits could not even be traced at their registered addresses. The step, officials underlined, was aimed at streamlining the electoral process and ensuring transparency by keeping only genuine, active political players on record.

Observers note that the Commission’s action carries significance for Jammu and Kashmir, where a multitude of small parties often emerged during periods of political transition but later faded into dormancy.