Karnataka: Muscle power in show

MANDATE 2004

While parties vow to root out corruption and criminals from the polity, they hardly mind nominating candidates with criminal backgrounds.

The Karnataka Election Watch (KEW), an independent organisation formed to guide voters in the state, after compiling data from 100 out of the 120 Assembly constituencies going to the polls in phase one on April 20, has announced that 96 candidates have at least one criminal case each, which attracts a minimum imprisonment of two years.

According to the KEW data, this adds up to 0.96 candidates with criminal cases per Assembly constituency. Interestingly, this figure is higher than records in northern states like Gujarat, Delhi and Rajasthan. The Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) all have candidates with serious charges against them.

Discrepancy in the percentage of candidates with criminal records among the top three parties varies between 9 per cent and 22 per cent.

The KEW feels that this data leaves the voter with little to choose from, as parties cynically continue to compete on the basis of money and muscle.

"The party leaders try to blame the electorate for this by saying that people elect such candidates. However, the real question is: why do parties continue to give tickets to such candidates, and what real choice do voters have?" it said.

The top three parties have 46 candidates with criminal cases registered against them. Other parties and independents have 50 candidates with cases registered against them, the KEW said.