The nexus between the criminals and the politicians, the newspaper continues, is well known. All attempts to select candidates with a “clean image” failed with the election of between 35 and 40 persons with criminal record, as the ruling party’s candidates in the last assembly elections in 1985, an equal number were persons known to have links with criminal elements. The caste politics of Bihar is such that no party can afford to antagonize the caste barons nor can any party ignore the kind of resources, both financial and of muscle power that these caste barons can bring to bear on any election. The Times of India’s adds.
When a candidate for election publicly declared “elect me as your representative, if you want your life and property safe”, people know that such a threat came from these barons.
The growing number of independence legislators who strike in the heart of the constituency and openly flout law is a direct result of crime-political nexus,
The transformation of a known criminal, who was serving a life term for murder and was released on a fraudulent medical certificate, is an example, a man known for his criminal activities, including murder, rape and abduction, acquired respectability as an independent MLA, the newspaper said.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 8, 1986
