Now tainted women candidates set to contest for 18th Lok Sabha

The aim of successive governments over the years for increasing role of women in parliamentary proceedings seemed to be taking a backseat with more and more tainted women candidates with declared criminal cases making way to the top choice of different political parties, when it came to winning elections.

Also the 2024 theme for International Women’s Day, ‘Inspire Inclusion’ which stressed on the pivotal role of women in society and providing them equal rights and respect. But it was not only the men but women candidates with criminal cases lodged under serious sections of IPC vying for the `18th Lok Sabha. As per sources, run up to the 18th Lok Sabha had witnessed a maximum of 88 women candidates with declared criminal cases, supposed to be the highest in Lok Sabha poll history.

BJP candidate has maximum cases amongst all women candidates

As per reports in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, of all the 88 women candidates with declared criminal cases, most of them lodged under serious sections of IPC, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Medinipur constituency in West Bengal has the maximum number of 11 criminal cases lodged against her under 15 serious sections of IPC.

Second in command

The second maximum count of criminal case lodged against a women candidate in 2024 is 10. Sudha R is contesting with second highest number of criminal case lodged under 27 sections of IPC is contesting on Congress ticket from Mayiladuthurai constituency in Tamil Nadu while actress Kangana Ranaut has 8 criminal cases lodged against her under 7 serious sections of IPC besides 17 other sections. She is contesting from Mandi parliamentary constituency on a BJP ticket in Himachal Pradesh.

Likewise, Misa Bharti, daughter of former Union minister and Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has 6 criminal cases lodged under 5 serious sections besides 8 other sections of IPC. She is contesting from Pataliputra parliamentary constituency of Bihar on a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ticket while Sowmya Reddy of Congress has 6 criminal cases lodged under one serious section besides 18 other sections of IPC. She is contesting from Bangalore South parliamentary constituency in Karnataka.

Stalwarts with declared criminal cases under serious sections of IPC

Some of the women candidates in fray with well known faces but with declared criminal cases include Anupriya Patel (2 case), Kanimozhi Maran (2 case), Mohua Moitra (1 case), Kangana Ranaut (8 case), Misa Bharti (6 case), etc.

Cases lodged under some serious sections of IPC against women candidates

Attempt to murder (IPC Section-307)
Punishment for criminal intimidation (IPC Section-506)
Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property (IPC Section-420)
Punishment for Rioting (IPC Section-147)
Punishment for wrongful restraint (IPC Section-341)
Punishment of criminal conspiracy (IPC Section-120B)
Punishment for criminal breach of trust (IPC Section-406)
Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony (IPC Section-153A)
Forgery of valuable security, will, etc (IPC Section-467)
Illegal payments in connection with an election (IPC Section171H)
Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant (IPC Section-188)
Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty (IPC Section-332)

Their Speak

“Women coming up in every field is always welcome. Presently in India, women’s participation is continuously increasing in the field of politics. In country’s political history, highest participation of women so far in parliament was in the 17th Lok Sabha. But tainted candidates in parliamentary set up, irrespective of gender, cannot be tolerated at all, as it undermines the very principles of democracy. Cleaning up the corrupt system is responsibility of every Indian but allowing tainted candidates to govern the country would defeat the very purpose of democratic setup.”

Sheeba Jose
Women rights activist and advocate, Allahabad High Court

“The yardstick to measure contributions of women in any country can be gauged from women’s participation in that country’s democracy. Every political party should strive to field candidates with clean profile and not get carried away doing everything to win elections.”

Anugrah Narayan Singh
Former Congress MLA and AICC member

Top 10 women candidates with maximum criminal cases in fray