What was the Supreme Court’s decision?
The Supreme Court (SC) was asked to consider giving a lifetime ban from contesting elections on lawmakers who have committed certain crimes, as opposed to the current six-year ban. The court recently discussed this issue but did not make a final decision.
However, the SC has issued some orders to speed up the resolution of criminal charges against Members of Parliament (MP) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs). A bench including the Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud has asked the High Court (HC) chief justices to set up special benches to monitor these cases.
Additionally, the SC has said that cases involving MPs and MLAs that could result in the death penalty should be given preference over other cases.
What percentage of MPs and MLAs have criminal cases against them?
A study found that over 44% of MLAs in Indian state assemblies have declared criminal cases against them. The study also discovered that 28% of the MLAs have declared serious criminal charges against them, like murder or attempted murder.
Another study revealed that 40% of serving MPs have declared criminal charges against them. 25% of them have declared serious criminal charges against them, like murder or kidnapping.
Why do political parties pick people with criminal cases for elections?
Some people with criminal records may have a huge local following or monetary power. Sometimes, political parties pick them for elections because they think these candidates can help them win elections, even if they have done bad things. These candidates can also have the power to control or scare members of other parties in some places.
Candidates with criminal records may also have strong links with local communities in some areas. So, the parties choose them, thinking they can get more votes. But it's a big issue for our country when political parties support candidates with criminal records. This might make people stop trusting those parties.
Some might think these candidates will do more bad things and not care about helping the public. But it's also important to remember that not all politicians have done bad things. Many are honest and want to help our country and society.
