The obsession for power politics fancies the ‘bahubalis’ to join politics. This nexus of politicians and criminals is bane for great Indian democracy. The cliche goes that the unabated entry of criminals into politics is a blot on the face of democracy. However, in reality the line demarcating politics and crime is blurred. Though our judiciary and Election Commission of India has cracked the whip to some extent on the muscle-men politicians but the growing clout of criminals, is a cause of concern.

Significant to note most of the dons-turned-politicians hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. With the Supreme Court barring convicts from polls, three MPs from Bihar Mohammad Shahabuddin and Pappu Yadav , and Suraj Bhan Singh — are out of the race. Convicted under the Arms Act in the Mumbai blasts case of 1993, Munna Bhai has also banned from contesting the election. But there are still many alleged criminals determined to make their way into the Lok Sabha.

The largest number of tainted candidates are in Bahujan Samaj Party. Next is the Samajwadi Party, followed by RJD and LJP. Congress and BJP also have their share of tainted candidates. Other regions that have produced such dons are West Bengal, Maharashtra and North-east.

In UP only, BSP’s candidates with an alleged criminal past are Dhananjay Singh (Jaunpur), Aruna Kumar Shukla ‘Anna’ (Unnao), D P Yadav (Badaun), Kadir Rana (Muzaffarnagar) Rakesh Pandey (Ambedkar Nagar), Rizwan Zahir (Shravasti)etc.
Among the Samajwadi Party’s candidates are Brij Bhushan Singh from Gonda, Rakesh Sachhan from Fatehpur, O P Gupta from Dhaurhara, Mitra Sen Yadav from Faizabad, history-sheeter Mukhtar Ansari ( Varanasi) and Bal Kumar (brother of dacoit Daduwa) from Mirzapur. Seema Parihar,a former dacoit, is also contesting from Mirzapur on Udit Raj’s Indian Justice Party ticket.

In Maharashtra, gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the North Central Mumbai parliamentary constituency. In West Bengal, ‘bahubali’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary is in the fray from Berhampore on Congress party’s ticket. In Bihar, JD(U) has given Lok Sabha ticket to Vijay Kumar Shukla alias Munna (a criminal-turned-politician). Lok Jan Shakti Party has also given ticket to alleged criminal, Rama Singh, an accused in many criminal cases, from Ara.

The lure of power is such that the tainted politicians want to retain their seats by hook or crook. And the easiest way for them is to field their best half in the poll fray. Hina Shahab, wife of incarcerated RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin is contesting from Siwan. Surajbhan Singh’s wife Beena Singh is contesting from Nawada on Lok Jan Shakti Party ticket. Pappu Yadav’s wife LJP’s MP Ranjita Ranjan, will contest from Supaul as a Congress Party’s nominee.
These muscle-men, trained in arm-twisting tactics, cut across party lines. It seems that judiciary and Election Commission of India are the only solace for common voters to see that the burly hooligans do not make it to the sanctum sanctum of democracy, Parliament as representatives of people. Otherwise, political parties have jumped the lakshman rekha of morality and ethics.