MMK president M.H. Jawahirullah
A total of 42 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) from Tamil Nadu have been de-listed by the Election Commission (EC) for non-compliance with the provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951, including not contesting elections in the last six years, since 2019.
According to the guidelines for registration of political parties issued by the EC under the provisions of the Representation of People Act, a political party must declare in its constitution that it will contest an election conducted by the EC within five years of its registration.
If the party does not contest elections continuously for six years, it shall be removed from the list of registered parties.
In the second phase of its comprehensive and continuous strategy to clean up the electoral system, the EC on Friday de-listed 42 political parties from the State.
Prominent among them were Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) led by Papanasam MLA M.H. Jawahirullah, Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK) led by Thiruchengode MLA E.R. Eswaran and Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam led by John Pandian.
The MMK, which has two MLAs, and the KMDK, which has one MLA and one MP, contested the last Assembly and Lok Sabha elections on the DMK ticket.
Other parties de-listed include Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi led by Thamimun Ansari, who successfully contested the Nagapattinam seat, and Perunthalaivar Makkal Katchi led by N.R. Dhanapalan, who unsuccessfully contested the Perambur seat, both on the AIADMK ticket in the 2016 and 2021 Assembly polls.
In a statement, Mr. Jawahirullah said the EC’s decision went against the Constitution and the Representation of People Act. He added that his party would file a review with the EC.
Published – September 20, 2025 10:55 pm IST
