Delhi High Court Upholds Election Commission's Party Recognition Powers

The Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by the Hind Samrajya Party challenging the Election Commission's authority to classify political parties as national or state-level parties. The petitioner claimed discrimination and unlawful recognition of certain parties, contrary to constitutional principles, affecting free and fair elections.

The Delhi High Court on Friday rejected a petition contesting the process by which the Election Commission recognizes political parties as national or state-level entities. The bench of Justices Nitin W Sambre and Anish Dayal ruled that earlier Supreme Court judgments had already addressed the issue.

The petition, submitted by the Hind Samrajya Party, targeted the validity of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. The party argued the commission lacked the authority to grant such recognition and claimed the outlined criteria were unreasonable.

The petitioner contended it faced discrimination during elections, with established parties gaining undue advantages. Allegations were made that the recognition process contravened fundamentals of the Constitution and the Representation of People Act, impacting the fairness of elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)