Prison has its downsides. For one, it’s not a good place for extroverts and those who like public life, the operative word being ‘public’. For another, the view is highly likely to be unfortunate and certainly to be the same for the duration of imprisonment. Also, the company is usually not sparkling. But not everything is that bad actually for the politician, especially if he has the good fortune of going into jail before a big event like the elections. Since pre-Independence, going to jail has its usefulness of being a badge of honour, an automatic show of victimhood and being wronged by powers-that-be. Spin it right, and the imprisoned can jolly well acquire a well-timed halo around his or her head by virtue of just going into jail.
If you’re a politician, especially high up in the hierarchy, usual irritants like dank conditions or subpar food shouldn’t pose a problem. Even if it’s the individual who has stepped behind bars, it’s his or her office that gets the bandobast even from behind bars. And if one hasn’t stepped down from office after arrest, something the law doesn’t make mandatory until confirmation of the illegality supposedly committed, then there’s the possible thrill for the public in following this incarcerated public servant working from inside prison. That itself can be the source of awe among the populace.
