he municipal elections of Delhi, scheduled for April 23, have 173 candidates with criminal cases against them. 

 

A report by the National Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) shows that 7 percent of the self-sworn affidavits of 2,315 candidates from 6 national parties, 12 state parties, 7 unrecognised parties and 1,051 independent candidates, contesting in the municipal corporation of Delhi elections, have declared criminal cases.

 

As many as 222 candidates have not been analysed as their affidavits were not available at the time of making this report. These candidates include the ones from major parties: 22 candidates from the Aam Aadmi Party; 15 from the Indian National Congress; 7 from the Bharatiya Janata Party and 20 candidates from the Bahujan Samaj Party, have not been analysed.

 

Five percent of the candidates have declared serious criminal against themselves – one candidate Rajesh contesting from South Delhi Municipal Corporation, ward no. 042-S-dichaon kalan from Lok Jan Shakti Party has declared case of murder, 15 candidates have declared cases of attempt to murder and 7 candidates have declared cases of kidnapping. 

 

Out of the 2,315 candidates analysed, 30 percent candidates are crorepatis: 141 (54%) out of 260 candidates from the BJP, 163 (64%) out of 256 candidates from the INC, 104 (42%) out of 250 candidates from the AAP, 41 (22%) out of 191 candidates from the BSP, 9 (24%) out of 38 candidates from the NCP, and 1 (8%) out of 12 candidates fielded by the CPI have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore. 

 

The average value of assets per candidate contesting in the MCD elections is Rs 1.61 crores.

 

The average value of assets per candidate among major parties is: 

Interestingly, there are two candidates who have declared zero assets in their self-sworn affidavits. 

 

The full report can be accessed here