India has more than 1,900 political parties, the largest number of any country, but over 400 of them have never fought an election, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi has said. He voiced suspicion that some of these outfits could be used to convert black money into legitimate funds.

What the Election Commission is doing

The Election Commission has begun removing such parties from its list. Zaidi explained that once struck off, they would lose income tax exemptions on the donations and contributions they receive.

Asked why the commission was not simply deregistering them, Zaidi said deregistration was a lengthy process. “Eventually, we may have to do that,” he said, describing the removal from the list as the commission’s immediate response to the anomaly.

Annual review

The commission has asked the chief electoral officers in the states to send detailed reports listing registered parties that have never contested an election, along with the donations those parties have received. Zaidi said that pruning the list of registered parties would now be carried out every year.

See also: political parties and elections

Originally published on 8 December 2016. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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