Mumbai : The State Election Commission (SEC) has issued show-cause notices to 19 political parties — including Ramdas Athavale’s Republican Party of India (RPI), Raju Shetty’s Swabhiman Party, Shivrajya Paksh and Peasant and Labour Party (Shetkari Kamgar Paksh) — for failing to file income tax return papers and reports of audited accounts for the last financial year.
The SEC also warned these parties that it would withdraw their recognition if these statements are not filed and sent to it within the next fortnight.
“A final opportunity is being given hereby to comply with the instructions of the commission for filing the said expenditure statement within a fortnight from the date of receipt of this letter,” said KJ Saharia, the chief state election commissioner.
There are 350 political parties registered with the SEC for the past 10 years. According to the SEC’s rules, every political party has to submit its yearly income tax return file and audited accounts report to the election commission. The 19 political parties now hauled up have not submitted their documents for the last year.
“They have to submit 18 documents over the past 10 years to the commission, but they have submitted only 17, so the notices have been issued,” Saharia said.
