Parties Justify Criminal Candidates in Elections Amid Compliance Failures

Political parties have defended selecting candidates with criminal records for upcoming Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections, citing reasons like administrative ability and political victimization. A report by ADR highlights non-compliance with Supreme Court directives for detailed justifications and calls for urgent electoral reforms due to systemic issues.

Political parties in Maharashtra and Jharkhand have defended their decision to field candidates with criminal records in the upcoming Assembly elections, attributing their choices to the candidates' strong administrative capabilities and commitment to public service. They have dismissed alternative candidates as lacking voter connection, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) released on Friday.

The ADR report, which scrutinized the Form C7 disclosures of over 1,286 candidates, revealed that these explanations often fall short of the Supreme Court's mandate for detailed justifications. Many parties provided vague reasons like candidates being young, energetic, or victims of political vendettas while neglecting alternatives without criminal histories.

Non-compliance with disclosure requirements is significant, with notable omissions from parties like the NCP-Sharad Pawar faction and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, and JMM in Jharkhand. The ADR has urged the Election Commission for stricter monitoring and proposed measures like disqualifying candidates with severe criminal charges and deregistering non-compliant parties to curb the intertwining of money, muscle power, and politics.

(With inputs from agencies.)