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MARGAO: Saying that elections have become a business, former Chief Election Commissioner of India N Gopalaswami has expressed concern over the increasing number of criminal elements getting elected to the legislature day-by-day with political parties looking out for candidates keeping the winnability factor in mind.
Speaking at a function held to release the book Vovallam written by Arvind Bhatikar at the Ravindra Bhavan here this evening, Gopalaswami said that the malaise can be controlled only though a legal mechanism – whether by Lokpal or Lokayukta – which can take up cases of corruption and complete them in a foreseeable time and though the Right to Information Act.
“There’s lot of money poured in elections now. It is obvious that it has become a business. In 60 years, we have taken democracy and elections to a situation we feel sorry. In Karnataka elections, the amount spent was so enormous that Rs 45 crore was seized in terms of goods, cricket kits, liquor etc. In the 2011 Tamil Nadu polls, around Rs 52-55 crore was spent. In one place, Rs five crore cash was found”, he said and wondered what will happen in politics if representing people will become the prerogative of a few”.
“Today, survey shows that in every 10 elected persons, five have criminal cases. There’s been a 25 per cent increase in the number of candidates with criminal background. This number is going up because every political party is now looking at winnability. This is an issue. Political parties today give tickets to candidates taking into account whether the particular candidate will help form the government. And, I don’t want to answer why they are eager to form the government”, he added.
