Why Do Andhra Pradesh people vote for criminal candidates?
Is it because majority of the voters are illiterate, ignorant, or simply, ill-informed?
YSR Congress party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has proved through the recently held elections in the State of Andhra Pradesh that even with a felonious background anybody can become Chief Minister of the State.
Though Mr. Reddy has been charged with 31 criminal cases and jailed for 18 months in an illegal asset case, his party YSR Congress has won astounding 151 of 175 Assembly seats and 22 of 25 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 Andhra Pradesh elections.
Mr. Reddy himself declared in the Affidavit during his nomination that 31 criminal cases were pending against him with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and different police stations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The scenario clearly indicates that people really don’t care much about the profile of a Political Leader.
Why Do Indians vote for criminal candidates?
Is it because many of the voters are illiterate, ignorant, or simply, ill-informed?
According to an article penned by Soutik Biswas in BBC, a political scientist Dr. Milan Vaishnav doesn’t believe it is because of many of the voters are illiterate, ignorant, or simply, ill-informed
Dr Vaishnav believes that “reasonably well-informed voters support criminal candidates in constituencies where social divisions driven by caste and/or religion are sharp and the government is failing to carry out its functions – delivering services, dispensing justice, or providing Security – in an impartial manner.”
According to Dr. Vaishnav, “there is space here for a criminal candidate to present himself as a Robin Hood-like figure.”
Who’s YS Jagan Reddy?
Yeduguri Sandinti Jaganmohan Reddy is the founder and leader of YSR Congress Party and he is the son of the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
Mr. Reddy was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on embezzlement charges and his Judicial custody was extended repeatedly as the investigation proceeded.
Why YS Jagan Reddy has been charged with 31 criminal cases?
According to Mr. Reddy’s declaration in the Affidavit submitted to election commission during his nomination in March, he has been charged with 31 criminal cases.
In the affidavit under the column ‘pending criminal cases’ declared that 31 criminal cases were pending against YS Jagan Reddy with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and different police stations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
In the 11 CBI cases, Mr. Reddy has been charged with cheating, criminal conspiracy, forgery, dishonesty, accepting bribe, inducing delivery of property, criminal misconduct, criminal breach of trust, prevention of Corruption and few more crimes.
In 7 ED cases, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s son Mr Jagan has been charged with Money Laundering.
According to The Times of India, the Enforcement Directorate had drawn up a list of top money launderers and Jagan Reddy was one of them.
Mr. Reddy was in the top money launders list because he was accused by the agency of laundering several hundred crores of rupees through 31 shell companies linked to him and his associated.
In 13 cases booked in Andhra Pradesh as well as Telangana police stations, Mr. Jagan has been charged with more than 20 different forms of offences recorded in the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In police station of Pulivendula, several cases have been booked under 16 different sections of the Indian Penal Code and other criminal acts.
Different cases have also been booked against YS Jagan Reddy for rioting armed with deadly weapons, criminal intimidation, mischief causing damage to public property, and several other crimes.
Mr. Reddy was arrested by the CBI on illegal assets charges and his Judicial custody was extended repeatedly as the investigation proceeded.
The Supreme Court also dismissed his petition on 4 July 2012, 9 August 2012, and on 13 May 2013.
