CANDIDATES WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS ENTER INDIA'S POLLS

By P. Vijian

NEW DELHI, April 22 (Bernama) -- Two hundred and eighty-eight candidates
with criminal records are contesting in the second phase of India's general
elections slated for April 23, says an election watch group.

The National Election Watch (NEW) revealed that 17.63 per cent of the total
1,633 candidates in the parliamentary polls had some sort of criminal
backgrounds.

The top four major political parties which fielded these candidates are
Congress, with 40 such candidates, Bahujan Samaj Party (31), Bharatiya
Janata Party (27) and Samajwadi Party (13).

According to NEW, a nationwide campaign with more than 1,200
non-governmental organisations and citizen groups, study the heinous crimes
ranging from murder and attempted murder to extortion and kidnapping.

The three top states are Bihar with 60 candidates, followed by Maharashtra
(58) and Jharkhand (seven).

It is criminalisation of politics and politicisation of crime. We need
strong public opinion to stop this (trend) and people should shut them out. It
is dangerous to our democracy.

"There should be more accountability and transparency in the system," former
Chief Justice of India J. S. Verma told Bernama.

In the first-phase election, NEW revealed that 16 per cent of the 1,425
candidates had criminal records.

India is conducting its 15th Lok Sabha or Lower House elections that began
on April 16.

It is being held in five phases and would end on May 13.

-- BERNAMA