National Election Watch, Association for Democratic Reforms urge Narendra Modi to keep his word on 'clean' governance

The National Election Watch (NEW) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has urged Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi to provide "clean governance" to usher in electoral and political reforms.

"Given your commitment to critically examine MPs and MLAs with self declared criminal cases, which you reiterated during recent Lok Sabha campaign rallies, interviews and reports saying the next Parliament would be cleaned up by punishing the guilty, we expect that you would provide clean and exemplary governance," NEW said in a letter to Modi. The letter further said that Members of Parliament (MPs) with serious criminal cases should not be made Ministers or given chairs of responsibilities in the Parliament such as Standing and Financial committees.

National Election Watch further urged Modi that he should refrain from assigning portfolios to any MP that would pose a conflict of interest with his or her business interest.

According to NEW and ADR, 186 (34%) out of 541 newly elected MPs have criminal cases against them, whereas, 112 (21%) MPs have been booked for serious criminal cases like murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, dacoity. The letter further said that according to an analysis by the NEW and ADR, in BJP alone 98 (35 per cent) out of 281 MPs have declared criminal cases themselves in their affidavits filed before the Election Commission, whereas 63 (22%) have declared serious criminal cases.

NEW, a congregation of over 1200 Civil Society groups across India, and ADR, a citizen led non-political and non- governmental organisation has been working with an objective of improving democracy and governance in India.