Over 400 candidates in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections have serious criminal cases against them, a study by the non-governmental organisation Association for Democratic Reforms showed on Sunday.
The candidates constitute 10% of all nominees whose election affidavits were analysed by the organisation. Eighteen candidates have declared cases relating to crimes against women and 13 for alleged murder.
In the previous state polls held in 2021, 6% of the candidates had declared that they faced serious criminal cases, according to the election watchdog.
The organisation classifies serious criminal offences as those that carry a maximum punishment of five years or more, are non-bailable, or are related to a loss to the exchequer. Serious offences also include assault, murder, kidnapping, rape and crimes against women, or those mentioned in the Representation of the People Act. They also include offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Association for Democratic Reforms analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 3,992 of the 4,023 persons contesting the polls across 234 Assembly constituencies.
Of these, 722, or 18%, candidates declared that they face criminal cases, an increase from 13% in the previous Assembly polls in 2021.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had the highest percentage of candidates (69%) with declared criminal cases among major parties. Of the total number of AIADMK candidates, 35% said that they face serious cases.
For the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, 40% of the analysed candidates have criminal cases. About 18% have serious cases.
Half of the candidates fielded by the Congress, an ally of the DMK, have criminal cases. Eighteen percent of the party’s candidates have serious criminal cases.
The rival Bharatiya Janata Party, which is an ally of the AIAMDK, has 48% candidates facing criminal cases. Of the BJP’s candidates, 27% have serious cases, the study showed.
Actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has 40% of its candidates facing criminal cases. Nineteen percent have serious cases. The party is contesting its first elections.
Polling in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 23 and the votes will be counted on May 4.
Wealthy politicians
More than 980 candidates, or 25% of those analysed, are crorepatis. The average assets of candidates in the state are Rs 5.1 crore.
While 10% of the candidates have assets valued at more than Rs 5 crore, 7.1% have between Rs 2 crore and Rs 5 crore.
More than 90% of the analysed candidates from the DMK, the Congress, AIADMK and the BJP are crorepatis.
The AIADMK’s Lalgudi candidate Leema Rose Martin is the richest with assets valued at Rs 5,863 crore, according to the study. Vijay has assets worth Rs 648 crore.
More than 90 candidates said in their affidavits that they were illiterate.
While 43% of the candidates declared that they had studied till between Class 5 and Class 12, graduates account for 46% of the nominees.
Only 11% of the candidates are women, the same as in 2021.
In 2021, the DMK-led alliance, which includes the Congress and the Left parties, won 159 seats in the 234-member Assembly. The National Democratic Alliance, comprising the AIADMK and the BJP, had won 75. DMK leader MK Stalin had become the chief minister.
Also read: Can Vijay’s electoral debut shake up Tamil Nadu’s politics?
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