WHEN CRIME PAYS

Milan Vaishnav

The relationship between crime and politics in India, where as many as one in three elected politicians are under criminal indictment, is symbiotic. In this work, the political scientist Milan Vaishnav explores the inner workings of democracy’s underbelly, showing that criminals’ deep pockets help grease their entry into politics, and, in turn, that citizens often support politicians because of, rather than in spite of, their criminal connections. Where the rule of law is weak, institutions lack power and social divisions are rife, politicians use criminality to signal their ability to “get things done.”

HarperCollins India, 440 pages, Rs799