With the two Ms - money and muscle power - becoming vital factors that determine the electoral fortunes of any candidate, criminalisation of politics is becoming institutionalised. There was a time when there used to be a major storm within political circles if criminals or people with criminal records were given tickets. Today, it is the norm.
Despite the efforts of Election Commission to check criminals from entering political arena about 40 member of parliaments (MPs) elected in the 2004 general elections have a criminal background. This along with about 700 MLAs and ministers in the different state assemblies make up an alarming statistics.
No party is to be blamed for the rot, as all seek the assistance of the musclemen at one point or the other. The 'party with a difference' Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) found itself in an embarrassing position after giving party membership to DP Yadav the former MP and 'muscleman' from Ghaziabad prior to the general elections in May. On realising the folly the BJP, however, had to make a hasty retreat. While compulsions of coalition politics have propelled scam-tainted Lalu Yadav and E Ahmed to ministerial berths in the Centre, people like Pappu Yadav are making a mockery of the rules and regulations. Pappu, a relative of Lalu was found holding durbars in prison and successfully running parallel mafia with the patronage of police personnel and politicians from within his prison cell.
The 'Siwan don'-Syed Shahabuddin, who continues to be on the 'run' for the law enforcement agencies, is able to enforce his diktat and run a parallel government in his constituency while Union Minister Shibu Soren gets a breather from court in a murder case in Jharkhand. Noted gangster Arun Gawli, successfully contested assembly elections from Mumbai. His wife is now in the eye of a storm and is charged in a murder case.
- Prakash Pillai