Shillong: The Election Commission is set to strike off three political outfits from Meghalaya from the list of registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) after they failed to participate in any elections for more than six years.
The parties facing deregistration are the Meghalaya Democratic Party (MDP), headquartered at Mission Compound; the North East Social Democratic Party (NESDP) from Mawlai Mawdatbaki; and the Regional Democratic Secular Congress (RDSC) based in Lower Lumparing.
Across the country, 474 such RUPPs have been identified for removal from the Commission’s registry for remaining inactive since 2019.
Under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, any registered political party that does not contest elections for six consecutive years loses its status and is delisted.
Officials said that notices had been issued earlier, allowing these parties to explain their inactivity before the final decision.
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Once delisted, they will no longer be eligible for privileges accorded to registered political parties, including income tax exemptions, priority in the allocation of election symbols, and order on the ballot.
The MDP, which emerged after a split in the United Democratic Party, had once held a notable presence in state politics, securing four Assembly seats in the 2003 elections.
The NESDP managed to win a single seat a decade later in 2013, while the RDSC, the least active of the three, never made a significant electoral mark.
With the removal of these parties from the official roster, Meghalaya’s political landscape will see a further narrowing of its once diverse regional spectrum.
