Revisiting the criminalization of politics (Part II)

An update on Bastardization of the public office and criminalization of Indian Politics. Read earlier updates on general elections and the political tactics around the same:
http://newspaper-posts.blogspot.com/2009/03/criminalization-of-politics-revisiting.html
http://newspaper-posts.blogspot.com/2009/03/general-elections-great-indian-tamasha.html
http://newspaper-posts.blogspot.com/2009/03/elections-and-populist-gravy-train.html
http://newspaper-posts.blogspot.com/2009/03/urban-rural-divide-and-electoral-anti.html

I had in an earlier post covered the fact that despite pressure from the media and citizenry, political parties have gone out and fielded candidates with criminal and other dubious backgrounds. This is an extension of the first two blogs on the same topic http://newspaper-posts.blogspot.com/2009/03/general-elections-great-indian-tamasha.html, http://newspaper-posts.blogspot.com/2009/03/criminalization-of-politics-revisiting.html. The practise of fielding candidates tainted with a criminal record continues unabated. The following is the list released by National Election Watch, an initiative by Association of Democratic Reforms, a NGO from Ahmedabad.

Of 730 candidates declared by INC, BJP, SP, BSP, CPI and CPM for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, 278 candidates had filled their affidavits for the 2004 election and out of the 278, 63 have criminal records aganist them. 39 of them have serious charges like Murder, Robbery, ATtempt to Robbery, Theft and Kidnapping against them. The candidates with serious charges against them include 14 from BJP, 13 from BSP, 5 each from INC and SP and 2 from CPI(M).

Reference: http://www.adrindia.org/home/index.asp

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