Of the 313 candidates who contested in the 4th phase of recent elections in UP, 49 have criminal record. They belong to Congress, B.J.P., B.S.P. and S.P. In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, 128 MPs of the 543 elected had criminal background. Crimes as heinous as murder, kidnapping, rape, rioting, etc. continue to be seen as acceptable by their parties as well as the polity as a whole. There are dozens of MPs of all political parties with criminal antecedents and against whom a number of cases are pending. They include L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, etc. who were charge-sheeted by C.B.I. Special Court for their role in criminal conspiracy, rioting, promoting enmity between two communities, etc. In the new Parliament also there are as many as 150 MPs facing criminal charges. Keeping this in view, the Election Commission should amend its code of conduct for candidates, banning entry of candidates with criminal antecedents in the electoral process.
G.H. Kaif
Bhandara, Maharashtra