Representation of People Act

New Delhi, February 10, 2025: The Supreme Court on Monday raised serious concerns over the criminalization of politics, questioning how convicted politicians are allowed to return to Parliament and state legislatures. The court sought the assistance of the Attorney General of India and directed the Centre and the Election Commission of India (ECI) to respond within three weeks.A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan examined the constitutional validity of Sections 8 and 9 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951, which permits convicted politicians to contest elections after a six-year disqualification period. The court pointed out the…