Illegal funding of elections and criminalization of politics

One of the biggest problems being faced by Indian politics is criminalization and use of corrupt money sources in election process. This criminalization and massive use of money is driven by desire to win the elections and after win the candidates try to 'recoup' their investments by illegal and disastrous consequences for delivery of public goods.

Election Commission of India has failed to curb the flow of illegal money during elections.Today, the sources of almost the entire money spent during election ore unknown in India. Only the source of 20% of the funding of any political party is known to Election commission of India.

It is hard to trace the source of remaining 80% funding, as there is no account of where this illegal money comes from. This money could be coming from corporate funding, mafia, or from other illegal activity, the nature of which is hard to find out. This illegal source of funding is used to cover the majority of election expenses by all political parties during elections. So they lack the willingness and incentive to curb this illegal flow.

There is a strong political-corporate nexus which has become a serious issue. Corporate groups fund those political parties that can carry forward their vested interests and give them undue favours.  This has resulted in the entire government machinery coming in the grasp of crony capitalism. Ministerial and bureaucratic appointments are made, and policies are formulated that suit these corporate groups, ensuring maximum benefit to them and ignoring general public in the course.

This lack of transparency in the funding of elections has cast its shadow on India’s democratic credentials, as it is not the will of the people of India that is reflected in formation of the government, but the will of crony capitalism.

Thus immediate steps need to be taken to curb this illegal flow of money. Political parties should be funded by the state to cover their election expenses. The role of corporate groups and other private entities in election funding should be eliminated to ensure transparency in the election process, and uphold India’s democratic credentials.