AMID an ongoing cleanup exercise to identify unrecognised parties involved in corrupt practices, the Election Commission has made a renewed push to get powers to de-register political parties.

The election law provides the poll panel power to register an association of people as a political party, but does not give it the authority to de-register.

At a recent interaction with the Union Legislative Secretary, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar is learnt to have pushed for this power to withdraw registration of political parties. The poll panel had been writing to the Government to grant it power under the Representation of the People Act to de-register a political party on certain grounds.

The poll panel believes that many political parties get registered, but never contest election. Such parties exist only on paper. The possibility of forming political parties with an eye on availing the benefit of income tax exemption also cannot be ruled out, the Election Commission (EC) feels.