Has ECI taken the colour off India’s poll campaigns?
₹1 each from persons attending the party’s public gatherings. Similar campaigns have been run by leaders such as Kanshi Ram and Arvind Kejriwal. It is an irony, though, that Kanshi Ram’s successor, Mayawati, faced allegations of corruption after coming to power.
And Kejriwal is currently behind bars facing allegations in the liquor policy scam. Money and the rich have begun to exert direct influence on our democracy. This is why money and muscle power gained influence in politics during the 1970s and 1980s.
Political bigwigs across parties began enjoying the company of criminals. These criminals were euphemistically named bahubali. A number of such bahubalis began to climb the power ladder from Gram Panchayats, to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Data analyzed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) showed that about 29% of members of the 17th Lok Sabha were charged with very serious offences, while 18% of Rajya Sabha members faced such charges. Another analysis by ADR in June 2023 showed that in the legislatures of 28 states and two Union territories, almost 28% of legislators had a criminal past. Politicians have also grown wealthier.
The ADR analysis showed that 12% of Rajya Sabha members currently have assets worth more than ₹100 crore, whereas about 48% Lok Sabha members elected five years ago had assets worth more than ₹5 crore. Notably, our country’s per capita daily income remains stuck at ₹464. The connotation is clear: The common Indian has now been limited to being a voter.
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