NEW DELHI -- In a rather gloomy testimony of electoral politics in India, a study by a data-driven website has revealed that candidates can improve their chances of winning an election by 30 percent if they make hate speeches.
A study conducted by IndiaSpend showed that candidates are 30 percent more likely to win elections if they have hate speeches cases against them.
In comparison, candidates who have criminal cases against them have a 20 percent greater chance of winning elections, and candidates who have no criminal cases against them can only boost their chances by 10 percent.
"So, being a suspect in a hate-speech case provides a candidate with a better chance of victory," the study concluded.
IndiaSpend, "the country’s first data journalism initiative," has used self-disclosed crime records of candidates who have contested various elections over the past 12 years.
Out of 82,970 candidates who have run for various Parliamentary and State Assembly Elections in the past 12 years, 8,103 have won in the polls, according to the study.
Out of the 17,892 candidates with criminal records, 3,597 have won elections.
Out of the 399 candidates with cases of hate speech registered against them, 121 have won elections.
Presently, 70 lawmakers in Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies have hate speeches pending against them.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has given tickets to most number of candidates with hate-speech cases, IndiaSpend reported.
Out of the 70 lawmakers in Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies, who have hate speeches pending against them, 28 are from the BJP.
Contact HuffPost India
Also on HuffPost India:
