CRIMINALISATION OF ELECTORAL POLITICS IN INDIA: A STUDY ON THE ROLE OF THE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA IN DECRIMINALISING OF ELECTORAL POLITICS IN ASSAM

Abstract

The Criminalisation of Politics means “Participation of Criminals, People having criminal records, having pending cases against them, contest in the elections and get elected as Members of the Parliament as well as in the State Legislatures.” Electoral criminalization or Criminalisation of Electoral politics is the synonyms of Political criminalization and politicisation. The mal-practices that are being adopted during elections are treated as the electoral criminalization. Those malpractices may be adopted by the political parties on the one hand which is very common to democratic government system having countries and by the voters but not all the general masses, its only those peoples who are engaged in political machinery and taking benefits from it; and the electoral administrative machinery which is also act in the influence of the political parties who is in ruling position, on the other hand. These corrupt practices, generally adopt by the evil and unscrupulous politicians and their parties. These corrupt practices criminalize the electoral system. On the other hand, the corruptions which are being  adopted by the politicians, bureaucrats and higher officials with a view to misuse of public property and public machinery for their selfish ends only, is the politicization of corruption which in turn criminalization of politics, too. Criminalization of electoral politics has brought selfishness to political sphere in the place of ideal idea of politics and political systems of the world. Even in a country like India and other democratic countries of the world’s political machinery has working in the motivated by self-interest only. The study has been tried to bring into light the phenomena of political criminalization.