The BJP may have cancelled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally for its rowdy-sheeter candidate in Chittapur, but the incident has once again brought to the fore political parties' predilection for 'tainted' leaders.
The latest report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) shows that 45 per cent of candidates from the top three parties have criminal cases pending against them.
Modi was to participate in a rally for Manikant Rathod who has 43 cases against him. Rathod recently appealed against his conviction in a case of stealing anganwadi milk powder for sale in the black market.
The BJP may have avoided a faux pas bigger than the one it faced when Modi greeted 'Fighter' Ravi in Mandya, but its list of candidates with criminal cases doesn't make it different from the others.
The ADR report shows that a total of 458 candidates including 119 independents have declared criminal cases. They also include cases where chargesheets have been filed. At least 49 candidates have declared cases related to crimes against women. There are eight declared cases of murder (IPC 302) while 35 are facing attempt-to-murder (IPC 307) cases.
While Rathod has the maximum number of cases against him, Congress' Vinay Kulkarni (Dharwad constituency) is facing three charges of rape and two charges of murder. The Congress also has B Nagendra with 42 pending cases.
The ADR has highlighted serious criminal cases — assault, murder and rape; non-bailable offences with 5+ years of punishment; electoral offences etc. Among the major parties, 69 of Congress' 221 candidates face such cases, 66 of BJP's 224, 52 of JD(S)' 208 and 30 of AAP's 208 candidates have declared serious criminal cases.
Wealth and crime
There is also an increase in the number of crorepati candidates. There are 592 candidates who have declared assets of more than Rs 5 crore as against 447 in 2018. Crorepatis now make 23 per cent of all candidates, a jump from 18 per cent in 2018. Candidates in the Rs 2-5 crore net have also increased from 252 to 272.
Founder of Karnataka Election Watch, ADR, and IIMB professor Trilochan Shastri said the rising criminalisation coincides with the increase in the number of candidates who are crorepatis.
"Why are political parties giving tickets to such persons? In 25 per cent of constituencies in Karnataka, voters don't have a choice of a candidate who doesn't face serious cases. It is time people understood their candidates before voting," he said.
Katyayini Chamaraj, ADR state coordinator, said there must be rules to bar at least those candidates against whom chargesheets have been filed. "The idea of equality before the law must be upheld. There are 3.3 lakh undertrials because they could not get bail whereas people with serious cases have become ministers. Petitions filed before the Supreme Court seeking reforms have been referred to Parliament but it is clear that political parties have no interest in such measures," she said.
The ADR recommended permanent disqualification of candidates convicted in heinous crimes like murder, rape and dacoity. Ensure that trial of cases in which politicians are accused are concluded in a time-bound manner, it added.
With regard to political parties, the ADR said those that knowingly put up candidates with tainted backgrounds should be de-registered. The association also called for an end to tax exemptions given to political parties.