Supreme Court Questions Six-Year Ban on Convicted Politicians

India's top court seeks a life ban on convicted lawmakers and faster resolution of pending criminal cases against them.

The Supreme Court of India has questioned the logic of allowing convicted legislators to return to Parliament after serving a six-year ban.
A petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay challenges the constitutional validity of Sections 8 and 9 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, which govern disqualification periods for convicted politicians.
The court highlighted the growing criminalization of politics, with 46% of current Lok Sabha members facing criminal cases, including 170 with serious charges.
The bench has sought responses from the Centre and Election Commission within three weeks and referred the matter to the Chief Justice for further consideration by a larger bench.
Despite previous directions for special courts and expedited trials of cases against lawmakers, over 4,700 cases remain pending, with some unresolved for over a decade.