The Enforcement Directorate\’s proposal in the Supreme Court to include the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a party accused in the Delhi excise policy case will pose a novel challenge for the Election Commission (EC). This is primarily because electoral regulations and laws do not provide clear guidelines on how to proceed when a political party faces allegations of misconduct.
Former officials of the electoral authority suggest that when it comes to taking punitive actions against a political party, the options available to the Commission are rather limited. At most, the EC is empowered to suspend or withdraw a party\’s official recognition under The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order.