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Date
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New Delhi

Commending the Election Commission (EC) for suspending the recognition of Mizoram-based National Peoples’ Party for failing to submit its election expenditure report for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) has pointed out that national parties such as BJP and Congress are equal defaulters in submitting their reports.

Availability of election expenditure statements of political parties with the Election Commission of India

  • Among the National  Parties, election expenditure statements of BJP and INC are not available for 5 Assembly elections held between 2011 and 2015 followed by CPI defaulting with its submission for 4 Assembly elections and CPI(M) in 1 Assembly election.
  • The availability of election expenditure statements of Regional Parties is equally worrisome where the statements of JD(U) is unavailable for15 Assembly Elections while that of LJP is unavailable for 11 Assembly Elections and election expenditure statements of RSP and Shiv Sena are unavailable for 10 Assembly Elections held between 2011 and 2015.
S. No. Name of the party Party code No. of elections for which the expenditure statements are unavailable
National Parties
1 Bharatiya Janata Party BJP 5
2 Communist Party of India CPI 4
3 Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) 1
4 Indian National Congress INC 5
5 Nationalist Congress Party NCP 2
Regional Parties
6 Aam Aadmi Party AAP 2
7 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam AIADMK 1
8 All India Forward Block AIFB 6
9 All India Trinamool Congress AITC 8
10 All Jharkhand Students Union Party AJSUP 2
11 Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam DMDK 1
12 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DMK 1
13 Indian National Lok Dal INLD 2
14 Indian Union Muslim League IUML 5
15 Janata Dal (Secular) JD(S) 9
16 Janata Dal (United) JD(U) 15
17 Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party JKNPP 8
18 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha JMM 4
19 Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithi JPSS 1
20 Jharkhand Vikas Morcha JVM 1
21 Kerala Congress (Anri-merger Group) KC(AMG) 1
22 Lok Janshakti Party LJP 11
23 Mizoram People’s Conference MPC 1
24 Muslim League Kerala State Committee MUL 3
25 Naga People’s Front NPF 2
26 National People’s Party NPP 4
27 Pattali Makkal Katchi PMK 1
28 Rashtriya Janata Dal RJD 9
29 Rashtriya Lok Dal RLD 2
30 Revolutionary Socialist Party RSP 10
31 Shiv Sena SHS 10
32 Samajwadi Party SP 9
33 United Democratic Party UDP 1
34 Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P) UKDP 2
35 Zoram Nationalist Party ZNP 1

Recommendations of ADR

While it is crucial for political parties to submit their expenditure statements for greater financial transparency, it is equally important to file the same within the time limit set by the ECI and endorsed by the Supreme Court of India. The National and Regional Parties should, ideally, lead by example by filing complete and correct statements of expenditure to the ECI well in time for public scrutiny so as to encourage financial transparency.

ADR requests the ECI to issue show-cause notices to those recognised parties which have defaulted in filing their election expenditure statements incurred during Assembly Elections held in the last 5 years.