INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (I) vs INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL WELFARE .

The Supreme Court examined whether the Election Commission of India possesses the statutory power under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to de-register a political party for calling 'hartals' involving force or coercion. The issue arose from High Court directions seeking to enforce the precedent that coercive 'bundhs' are unconstitutional. The core legal question is the scope of the Election Commission's authority to cancel registrations based on constitutional violations.