The rise in winning candidates with criminal cases is a cause of concern and raises questions about the candidate selection process of political parties. Why are political parties giving tickets to such persons? When criminals turn into elected representatives and become law-makers, they pose a serious threat to the functioning of a democratic system. The rising number of elected representatives with criminal backgrounds in Parliament and state legislatures is a matter of deep concern to all law-abiding and right-minded citizens. Muscle and money decide the fate of elections in India. Our Indian democracy has seen a steady increase in the level of criminalization creeping into Indian polity. The legislature needs to play its constitutional role by framing a law that provides for the weeding out of criminal elements at the pre-poll stage itself. Voters can make an informed choice only if they are fully aware of the candidate’s background. But it seems that the governments in our country do not seem keen on reducing the number of candidates having criminal records.
