Current Criminality Among Seated MPs: According to Association for Democratic Reform (ADR) report, among the 763 MPs under scrutiny, 40% demonstrated a record of self-declared criminal cases.
Among this group, 25% also bore the weight of severe criminal charges, encompassing offenses such as murder, kidnapping, and crimes against women.
Kerala boasted the highest proportion of MPs with criminal records, closely trailed by Bihar and Maharashtra.
Notably, the average assets of MPs with declared criminal cases exceeded than MPs with no criminal cases.
Understanding the Phenomenon of Criminalization of Politics (CoP): Criminalization of Politics (CoP) denotes the infiltration of individuals with criminal histories, lawbreakers, and corrupt figures into the political system.
Drivers of CoP: CoP is fueled by the escalating nexus between political parties and individuals with criminal backgrounds, the pervasive culture of buying votes and offering incentives to lure voters, and the consistently high success rate of candidates entangled in criminal cases.
Implications of CoP: The consequences of CoP are far-reaching, contributing to a decline in the quality of governance, hindrances in conducting impartial elections, and erosion of the integrity of public servants.
Supreme Court Rulings to Curtail CoP: The judiciary has played a pivotal role in addressing CoP through landmark judgments:
Public Interest Foundation Case 2018: This ruling mandates that all candidates must disclose their criminal history to the Election Commission of India before contesting elections.
Lily Thomas Vs. Union of India 2013: According to this judgment, Members of Parliament and State Legislators convicted of crimes carrying a minimum sentence of years’ imprisonment would automatically forfeit their seats in the legislative house.
