PODCAST TRANSCRIPT – MONEY POWER AND CRIME IN ELECTIONS

Introduction 00:03

Hello, everyone! My name is Bipasha Nath, and I am a Program Associate at ADR. Welcome to the second episode of our recently launched podcast series. This episode is on Money Power and Crime in Elections. In this section, we will be discussing the increasing prominence of crorepati winners, and election of MPs and MLAs with declared criminal cases.

Overview 00:28

ADR’s analysis of India’s electoral scenario from 2004 to 2020 provides a startling insight into a rising interplay of money and muscle power in the political system. Out of 1,49,375 self-declared affidavits filed with the Election Commission of India during this period, 17.5% of the candidates had pending criminal cases against them, and 10.6% had serious criminal charges including murder, attempt to murder, rape, corruption, extortion, etc. This shows the willingness of political parties to field candidates with criminal background. It ranges from 44% for Telangana Rashtra Samithi to 4% for the Asom Gana Parishad – effects of which are felt most acutely on policy-making, good governance, and public delivery systems. Between 2004 and 2020, the average assets of 26,073 candidates with criminal record was Rs. 4.39 crores, and for those with serious criminal charges was Rs. 4.74 crores. Further, as per ADR’s analysis, chances of winning election with clean record was a mere 8%, while chances of winning an election with criminal record was at 19% – thereby highlighting a correlation between wealth, crime, and a positive election outcome.

Relevance of the topic 02:01

In the 2019 General Elections, 43% of MPs had criminal cases against them; out of this, 29% were those with serious criminal cases. This situation did not develop overnight but is the consequence of campaign strategies adopted by political parties and voting behaviour patterns displayed by the electorate, which allowed wealthy candidates and those with criminal background to enter politics and win elections. 

Interestingly, ADR’s 2018 survey on governance and voter behaviour had revealed that about 98% of Indian voters do not want politicians with criminal cases in Parliament and State Assemblies. The survey findings also revealed that the continuing trend of electing candidates with criminal background seem to arise from factors such as a) the candidate’s expenditure in elections, b) cases against the candidate not being of serious nature, c) the candidate being a powerful political figure, d) candidate belonging to the voter’s caste/religion, e) past work done by candidate may have benefitted people, f) and most importantly, voters’ lack of awareness about the candidate’s background details

Given the contrasting viewpoints, we, at ADR, have analysed election results spanning across several years, to understand the complex nature of electoral politics in India.

Key findings 03:30

Our top key findings reveal the following facts –

1. The most recent General Elections of 2019 saw the Election Commission of India (ECI) making the largest seizure of cash, liquor, precious metals, etc. in the history of Indian elections – with a total worth of 3,475 crore.
2. Out of the 15,032 MPs and MLAs analysed between 2004 and 2020, 4,870 or 4% had declared pending criminal cases against them, while 2,795 or 18.6% had declared serious criminal charges including murder, rape, corruption, extortion, etc. 
3. The average assets of MPs and MLAs was 7.05 crores, that of runners-up was Rs.6.32 crores and those securing third position was Rs.1.24 crores – clearly showing that wealthier candidates have greater chances of winning elections.
4. Notably, the average assets of 1,49,375 candidates between 2004 and 2020 was 2.30 crores and that of MPs/MLAs was Rs.7.05 crores. The average assets of those MPs/MLAs with some crime record was at Rs.9.11 crores, and of those with serious crime records was still higher at Rs. 9.44 crores.  
5. It was also observed that in case of independent candidates, the average assets was 83.5 lakhs for contesting candidate, Rs.7.3 crores for MPs/MLAs, Rs.9.74 crores for MPs/MLAs with criminal cases, and Rs.9.47 crores for MPs/MLAs with serious criminal cases.
6. As of June 2020, a total of 4807 sitting MPs and MLAs were analysed. Out of this, 1460 or 30% sitting MPs and MLAs had declared criminal cases against themselves, and 688 or 14% had serious criminal cases.

Conclusion 05:49

This raises several questions about the nature of elections and democracy. Data has revealed a close nexus between crime and money in electoral processes, with undesirable consequences for all sectors – right from the candidates, the Governments, and the administration, to the general public at large. Those engaging in corrupt practices pose a threat to good governance, and negatively impact the quality of governance. Any candidate who spends lavishly in elections, after winning will focus on recouping his investment, or returning favours to those who funded him.

06:27

The need of the hour, therefore, is to introduce reforms in India’s political processes. If you wish to learn more about ADR’s contributions in this matter, make sure you subscribe to the podcast on our website: adrindia.org or write to us at [email protected] with your feedback. We will be back in two weeks with another amazing episode. So stay tuned, and thank you for listening.

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