The Election Commission of India (ECI) has disqualified 529 independent candidates who failed to file their election expenditure accounts, barring them from voting and contesting elections for three years. This action, taken under Section 10A of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951, was officially announced on March 16. Candidates are required to submit detailed accounts of all election-related spending within 30 days of election results, covering expenses from campaign rallies to promotional materials. A senior ECI official noted that independent candidates often struggle to meet these requirements due to a lack of organizational support. The disqualification does not extend to panchayat and municipal elections, which are governed by state laws. Among the disqualified candidates, Uttar Pradesh leads with 120 individuals, followed by Karnataka with 59 and Madhya Pradesh with 39.