The Election Commission of India (ECI) has  launched a web portal  (https://iems.eci.gov.in/)for political parties to file financial statements online.

The measure has been enabled with the launch of a new web-portal  (https://iems.eci.gov.in/) to facilitate the online filing of Contribution Report, Audited Annual Account and Election Expenditure Statement by the Political Parties. 

The online availability of the data is expected to enhance the level of compliance and transparency.

The initiative has been taken with twin objectives – to overcome difficulties in filing physical reports and to ensure timely filing in a standardized format

Every political party is bound to disclose its financial accounts, transactions, and donations under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

These financial statements are required to be submitted by political parties to the Election Commission/Chief Electoral Officers of States/Union Territories. 

The on-line portal has a facility for sending reminders in the form of messages on the registered mobile number and registered emails of the authorised representatives of the political party so that the dates of compliances are not missed. 

A comprehensive guiding manual with graphical representations, and FAQs have also been sent to the political parties explaining the online module and the process of filing reports online. To give further guidance on the on-line filing, the ECI would also organise a hands-on training programme for the designated person(s) from various political parties.

The political parties not wishing to file the financial report through online mode will have to convey the reasons for not filing on-line to the Commission in writing and may continue to file its reports in hard copy along with CDs/Pen drive in the prescribed formats. The commission will, in turn, publish all such reports online, along with a letter of justification sent by the party for not filing financial statements online.