No law in the country can stop GNLA leader from contesting the assembly polls

Shillong, Nov 23: As the Indian government is still sitting on the suggestion made by the Election Commission of India (ECI) once the court of law frame charge against the criminals they should be disqualified from contesting election; it appears that no law in the country can stop the arrested Garo National Liberation Council (GNLA) chairman Champion Sangma for contesting the upcoming February 2013 assembly election.

Sangma has declared that he is going to contest the coming election to reporters recently. Even his lawyer Sujit Dey has confirmed that the militants’ leader has expressed his desire to contest the February assembly election.

The court has charged Sangma under Section 121 (A) (attempting to wage war against the Government of India) of the IPC and Section 16, 18 and 38 (1) (2) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967.

Speaking about the criminalization of politics in India and the need to debar candidates with criminal records from contesting election, the deputy election commissioner of India Alok Shukla told www.ohmeghalaya.com website, “ As of now only if a criminal is convicted by the court of law, he/she cannot contest election, that is why the Election Commission of India had written to the union government to enact a law where by criminals who have been charge-sheet by the court should be debarred from contesting election.”

Talks of decriminalization of politics seem nothing but a big hogwash by political parties in India. The fact that none of the bigger political parties in India-including the Congress- is even talking about the ECI suggestion gives the impression that there is a “conspiracy of silence” as it suits all of them to remain silence and remain non-committal of bringing about an effective law for debarring criminal who charges have been framed by the court of law from contesting election.

Shukla agreed that decriminalizing politics will not possible unless there is an effective law. In the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections held this year many politicians with criminal records like  Atique Ahmed, lodged in Basti jail since 2008, contested from Allahabad (West) seat on the ticket of Apan Dal,   Mau MLA Mukhtar Ansari contested six assembly elections out of which four were fought when he was lodged in jail.

There are innumerable politicians from different political parties with criminal records who have contested- some from the four walls of the prisons- either the assembly or parliamentary elections even as their parties indulge in big talks of decriminalising politics.

Sangma might well exploit the absence of such a law and plunge deep into the electoral politics even as he is still behind bars and waiting for the trail to take place.- By Our Reporter