Shillong, Oct 14: Three Meghalaya political parties will be removed from the list of registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) as they have not contested any elections in the last six years.
The three are the Meghalaya Democratic Party (MDP) based in Mission Compound, North East Social Democratic Party (NESDP) based in Mawlai Mawdatbaki and Regional Democratic Secular Congress (RDSC) based in Lower Lumparing.
The MDP won four seats in the 2003 state election; it was created after a split in the United Democratic Party. The NESDP is known to have won one seat back in 2013 while the RDSC is the least well known of the trio.
These Meghalaya parties are three among 474 RUPPs in the country that have not taken part in any elections since 2019. If a registered political party does not contest elections continuously for six years the party shall be taken off the list of registered parties.
Notices were served to the parties at the state level giving them “opportunity to present their case”. The 474 will now be known as “delisted RUPPs” and will be ineligible for benefits under the Representation of the People Act 1951. Under this, registered political parties get tax-exempt status, priority for symbols and order in the ballot, etc.
