An analysis conducted by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has revealed that out of the 8,337 candidates contesting in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, a staggering 1,644 candidates have criminal cases registered against them. Among these, 1,188 candidates face serious criminal charges, including allegations related to murder, attempted murder, crimes against women, and hate speech.
Why People Choose Criminal Politicians?:
In India, criminal politicians are fielded because their wealth appeals to political parties, and elected because voters see criminality as sign of their credibility to “get things done.” Criminalization of politics is defined as the situation when criminals participate in the politics of the government, i.e., contest elections and get elected to the Parliament and state legislatures.
The Rise of Political Criminalization:
This growing menace has become a big problem for our society, affecting the basic principles of democracy, such as fairness in elections, following the law, and being accountable. According to data from the ADR, the number of candidates with criminal charges elected to Parliament in India has been on the rise since 2004. In 2004, 24% of parliamentarians had pending criminal cases, which rose to 43% in 2019.
Issue that Needs Attention:
The recent analysis, which examined affidavits of candidates across different phases of the elections, highlighted concerning trends. In the first phase, out of 1,618 candidates analyzed, 252 have criminal cases, while 161 face serious criminal charges. Similarly, the second phase saw 250 candidates with criminal cases out of 1,192 analyzed, with 167 facing serious charges.
Phase-wise data revealed a disturbing pattern, with the highest number of candidates with criminal charges found in the fourth phase. Out of the 1,710 candidates analyzed in this phase, a staggering 360 had criminal charges against them, with 274 facing serious criminal charges.
The analysis underscores the prevalence of candidates with criminal backgrounds across various phases of the elections. Even in phases with fewer candidates, a significant proportion faced criminal charges, indicating a systemic issue that needs attention.
Overall, the findings of the analysis raise concerns about the criminalization of politics and highlight the need for greater scrutiny and transparency in candidate selection processes. As voters exercise their democratic right, awareness of candidates’ backgrounds and criminal records becomes crucial for making informed choices.
Telangana Tops the List…
State-wise, Telangana tops the list with 104 candidates (out of 524 analyzed) having declared criminal cases against them followed by Andhra Pradesh with 88 candidates (450 analyzed) having criminal cases against them based on ADR report.
Data of Telangana Assembly Candidates (Dec 2023 Polls):
Total candidates analyzed by NEW 2257
Candidates with declared criminal cases 513 (23%)
Candidates with declared serious criminal cases 357 (16%)
The ADR stated that 59 (50 per cent) winning candidates in the Telangana Assembly elections 2023 have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. The candidates who declared serious cases against themselves include 31 winning candidates from Congress, 17 winning candidates from the BRS, seven from the BJP, one winning candidate from the CPI, and three from the AIMIM.
In the 2018 Telangana Assembly elections, of the 119 MLAs analyzed, 73 (61 per cent) MLAs had declared criminal cases against themselves, and 47 (40 per cent) had declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
The affidavits analyzed by the ADR showed that 51 (80 per cent) out of 64 winning candidates from the Congress, 19 (49 per cent) out of 39 winning candidates from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), seven (88 per cent) out of eight winning candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one (100 per cent) winner candidate from the Communist Party of India (CPI), and four (57 per cent) out of seven All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) winning candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Data of Andhra Pradesh Assembly Candidates (May 2024 Polls):
Total number of constituencies analyzed 175
Total candidates analyzed by NEW 2368
Candidates with declared criminal cases 542 (23%)
Candidates with declared serious criminal cases 374 (16%)
As per the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the data also revealed that among the major political parties, all 3 AIMIM's candidates have cases against them. Shiva Sena follows with 67% 92 out of 3) of their candidates having criminal records. BRS and INC have 59% (10 out of 17) and 57% (35 out of 61) of their candidates with criminal cases, respectively. BJP also has 57% (40 out or 70) of their candidates declaring criminal cases against themselves. TDP has 53% (9 out of 17), while both BJP and RJD have 50% (2 out of 4) of their candidates in the same category. Shiva Sena (UBT) also has 50% (2 out of 4), YSRCP has 48% (12 out of 25) of their candidates with criminal records.
