AERIAL VIEW
As per the ADR report, Out of 40 sitting MLAs analyzed, 11 (28%) MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves. Nine MLAs with severe criminal cases: 9 (23%) have declared serious criminal cases.
One MLA has declared cases related to Crime against Women (IPC section 376).
Party wise sitting MLAs with criminal cases: 7 (26%) out of 27 MLAs from BJP, 1 (20%) out of 5 MLAs from INC, 1 (33%) out of 3 MLAs from Goa Forward Party, 1 (100%) out of 1 MLA from NCP and 1 (33%) out of the 3 Independent MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
Five (19%) out of 27 MLAs from BJP, 1 (20%) out of 5 MLAs from INC, 1 (33%) out of 3 MLAs from
Goa Forward Party, 1 (100%) out of 1 MLA from NCP and 1 (33%) out of the 3 Independent MLAs have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
On Wednesday, the Election Commission of India said that the political parties have to tell the people why they have given tickets to candidates with a criminal background.
This is the right step by the Election Commission of India, but in Goa, which has just 40 MLAs, 11 have criminal backgrounds, which means around 28 per cent of the MLA have cases pending, which is a big number for places like Goa.
As per the ADR report, Out of 40 sitting MLAs analyzed, 11 (28%) MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves. Nine MLAs with severe criminal cases: 9 (23%) have declared serious criminal cases.
One MLA has declared cases related to Crime against Women (IPC section 376).
Party wise sitting MLAs with criminal cases: 7 (26%) out of 27 MLAs from BJP, 1 (20%) out of 5 MLAs from INC, 1 (33%) out of 3 MLAs from Goa Forward Party, 1 (100%) out of 1 MLA from NCP and 1 (33%) out of the 3 Independent MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
Five (19%) out of 27 MLAs from BJP, 1 (20%) out of 5 MLAs from INC, 1 (33%) out of 3 MLAs from
Goa Forward Party, 1 (100%) out of 1 MLA from NCP and 1 (33%) out of the 3 Independent MLAs have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
The MLAs are – Atanasio Monserrate, Jennifer Monserrate, Michael Vincent Lobo, Vinoda Datarama Paliencar, Govind Shepu Gaude, Name:Nilkanth Ramnath Halarnkar, Vishwajit Pratapsingh Rane, Digambar Vasant Kamat, Churchill Alemao, Clafasio Dias and Mauvin Heliodoro Godinho.
However, the ECI diktat is nothing new the Supreme Court recently ordered political parties to publish
details of any criminal cases that their candidates for the Lok Sabha or assembly elections may be involved in.
These details, which are to be published within 48 hours of such candidates, are to be accompanied with reasons for fielding them.
The other side of the story is that the crimes are minor in most cases while the others are major. While the political parties are fielding candidates for their electoral benefit, why the cases against them are not expedited.
For example, the Panaji police station case – involving Babush Monseratte and Jennifer Monseratte has been dragging on for the last 12 years.
Whether they are guilty or not is a different question, but the outcome has to come.
The Supreme Court, in 2020, has resolved to ensure that pending criminal trials against sitting and former legislators, which run to over 4,000 across the country, will be completed in a time-bound manner.
In September 2018, the Centre had informed the apex court about setting up 12 special courts across 11 States to exclusively try sitting and former legislators.
Why such steps are not taken in Goa? Why does the case against the politicians keep dragging on with no result?
However, the Supreme Court has been mulling over directing the Election Commission to bar legislators facing criminal charges from using the party symbol in polls pending completion of the trial in such cases.
While the Centre has posited that this would violate the principle of separation of powers, the fact is that such a move will not really do much. The party symbol will matter little with such a candidate’s party machinery backing them.
