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Key Points

The Election Commission has begun consultations with state parties ahead of the Bihar elections and 2025 state polls. Trinamool Congress leaders recently met with the panel to discuss electoral concerns. The ECI has already engaged with national parties including BJP, BSP, and AAP. Meanwhile, the Commission is cracking down on inactive political parties, with 345 under scrutiny for delisting.

Key Points: Election Commission Meets State Parties Ahead of Bihar Polls

  • ECI consults Trinamool Congress on Bihar and 2025 state polls
  • Panel earlier met BJP, BSP, AAP, and CPI(M) leaders
  • Over 4,700 all-party meetings held nationwide in March
  • Scrutiny underway for 345 inactive political parties
2 min read

Election Commission engages state parties ahead of Bihar polls

ECI engages Trinamool Congress and other parties for Bihar and 2025 state elections while scrutinizing inactive political outfits.

"These interactions enable party leaders to share suggestions directly with the Commission – Election Commission"

New Delhi, July 1

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated a fresh round of meetings with recognised state political parties as part of its ongoing consultations ahead of upcoming electoral exercises, including the crucial Bihar Assembly elections later this year and West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry Assembly elections next year.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on Tuesday had an interaction with a delegation from Trinamool Congress led by the party’s authorised representative Chandrima Bhattacharya, Kalyan Banerjee, Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, and Prakash Chik Baraik. They received their suggestions at the poll panel's headquarters in New Delhi.

"These interactions provide for a long-felt need of constructive discussions which enable national and state party presidents to share their suggestions and concerns directly with the Commission," said a press statement from the Election Commission. It added that this initiative aligns with the Commission’s broader vision of further strengthening the electoral process in accordance with the existing legal framework, with all stakeholders.

The poll panel has already met with delegations of recognised National Parties. These include the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Mayawati on May 6, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by J.P. Nadda on May 8, CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby on May 10, National People’s Party (NPP) President Conrad Sangma on May 13, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal on May 15.

Earlier this year, in March, a total of 4,719 all-party meetings were conducted, including 40 meetings by Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), 800 by District Electoral Officers (DEOs), and 3,879 by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), engaging more than 28,000 representatives of political parties across the country.

With Bihar set to go to the polls, the Election Commission is expected to intensify its focus on the state. Meanwhile, the ECI has also taken a firm stance against defunct registered political parties. Several such parties, which remain on official rolls despite being inactive for years, are now under scrutiny.

Last week, the poll panel started proceedings for delisting of 345 registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) which have failed to fulfil the essential condition of contesting even a single election for the last six years since 2019.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Why only meeting big parties? What about smaller regional parties who represent grassroots issues? ECI should give equal importance to all registered parties, not just the powerful ones 🙏
A
Arjun K
Finally cleaning up the system by removing inactive parties! So many fake parties were just taking benefits without contesting. Good move ECI 👏 Now please focus on Bihar - we need strict monitoring against cash distribution during elections.
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Sarah B
As an observer, I'm impressed by the scale of India's electoral process - 4,719 meetings! But how many of these suggestions actually get implemented? Would be great if ECI publishes a follow-up report.
K
Kavya N
Hope they discuss women's safety at polling booths this time. Many of us feel uncomfortable going alone to vote, especially in rural areas. ECI should make special arrangements for female voters.
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Vikram M
While meetings are good, ECI needs to act tough on MCC violations. Every election we see banners/cutouts beyond permitted size, loudspeakers after 10pm... Rules are there but enforcement is weak!

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