Criminalization of Politics is Dangerous to Indian Democracy

Abstract

The Bihar election in October 2020, was the first election in which a Supreme Court decision (issued in February 2020) requiring political parties to publish the full criminal record of candidates and reasons for placing suspected criminals was used.The decision also requires that such information be published in the local and national newspaper and on the social media platforms of the parties.While the judiciary may have far-reaching effects on political crime, there is still much to be done to create a clean electoral system in India.Given the skepticism of political parties in preventing political delinquency and its growing harmful effects on Indian democracy, Indian courts should now seriously consider preventing people accused of serious criminal offenses from interfering in elections.