Lok Sabha polls: 21% candidates contesting in fourth phase face criminal cases

A total of 360, or 21%, of the 1,710 candidates contesting the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections have been charged with criminal cases, the non-governmental organisation Association for Democratic Reforms said in a report.

The report, published on May 4, analysed the affidavits filed by 1,710 out of the 1,717 candidates who are contesting the polls that are due on May 13 in ten states and Union territories.

It showed that 274 candidates stand accused in serious criminal cases that attract a punishment of five years imprisonment or more. Seventeen candidates have been convicted of their crimes. As many as 50 candidates have been accused in cases related to crimes against women and five of them have been charged in cases related to rape.

Of the 360 candidates with criminal cases, 11 have declared cases related to murder, whereas 30 have declared attempt to murder cases.

Of the total, 44 candidates have declared cases related to hate speech.

Among the major parties, 40 of the 70 candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party and 35 of the Congress’ 61 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.

All three candidates of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen contesting in the fourth phase and two out of three candidates of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have serious criminal cases against them. Ten out of 17 candidates fielded by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi are accused in serious criminal cases.

The number stands at nine out of 17 for the Telugu Desam Party, and two out of four each for the Biju Janata Dal, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).

Of the 25 candidates fielded by the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party 12 have criminal cases. three out of eight Trinamool Congress candidates and seven out of 19 candidates from the Samajwadi Party have criminal cases

The Association For Democratic Reforms also said that 58, or 60%, out of the 96 constituencies going to polls in the fourth phase are “red alert” constituencies. A constituency is classified as “red alert” if three or more candidates contesting there have declared criminal cases against themselves.

Assets analysis

The election watchdog’s report also showed that 476, or 23% of the 1,710 candidates, have declared assets worth over Rs 1 crore.

Of the total, 205 candidates have declared assets worth over Rs 5 crore, whereas 133 have declared assets worth between Rs 2 to Rs 5 crore.

A total of 65, or 93% of 70 candidates from the BJP and 56, or 92%, of Congress candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.

The top three candidates with the highest declared assets are Telugu Desam Party’s Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani and Prabhakar Reddy Vemireddy and BJP leader Konda Vishweshwar Reddy.

Pemmasani, who is contesting from Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur, has declared assets worth over Rs 5,705 crore. Reddy, the BJP candidate from Telangana’s Chevella, has assets worth over Rs 4,568 crore. Vemireddy, contesting from Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore, has assets worth over Rs 716 crore.

Of all the candidates contesting in the fourth phase, 638, or 37%, have said that they have assets worth less than Rs 10 lakh. Twenty-four candidates have declared that they have no assets.

Independent candidate Katta Anand Babu, who will contest from Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh, has declared movable assets worth Rs 7, the lowest.

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