Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Aug 09 :
In a significant development, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has deregistered three obscure political parties from Jammu & Kashmir.
According to an official order, a copy of which is in possession of the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the poll body today removed the All Jammu & Kashmir Republican Party, Indian Peoples Conference Party, and Socialist Democratic Party from its registry.
These parties were served show-cause in the month of June, asking them to explain why they shall not be de-registered.
The ECI took this action after it was found that these parties neither participated in the electoral process in the last six years nor existed at their registered addresses.
As per ECI guidelines, any political party that fails to contest elections for six consecutive years is liable to be delisted from the registered parties.
The Representation of the People Act-1951 mandates that political parties must provide a communication address to the poll-body at the time of registration.
It also provides that any change in the party’s name, head office, office bearers, or address must be communicated to the Commission without any delay—(KNO)