Can't micromanage party's internal affairs: Court on EC

The Delhi high court has held that the Election Commission of India (ECI) cannot micromanage a party's internal affairs, including the election of office bearers.

- Shruti Kakkar

NEW DELHI:

A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela opined that the ECI under section 29A (9) of the Representation of People's Act (RPA) was only under a mandate to maintain up-to-date records of political parties registered with it and does not have the jurisdiction to conduct an inquiry into the authenticity of the information communicated to it regarding change of its name, head office, office bearers, address, etc.

To be sure, section 29A(9), mandates political parties registered with the ECI to immediately communicate any change in name, head office, office bearers or address to the commission.