Source:
Indian Mandarins
Date:
03.02.2022
City:
New Delhi
In a report released by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), around 25 per cent of the candidates across parties for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections have criminal cases against them. As per affidavits filed by 615 candidates across parties for the first phase, 156 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves while 121 (20 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
A total 58 Assembly seats will go to polls on February 10, in the first phase of elections. Among the major parties, 21 (75 per cent) out of 28 candidates analysed from Samajwadi Party, 17 (59 per cent) out of 29 candidates analysed from Rashtriya Lok Dal, 29 (51 per cent) out of 57 candidates analysed from Bharatiya Janata Party, 21 (36 per cent) out of 58 candidates analysed from the Congress, 19 (34 per cent) out of 56 candidates analysed from Bahujan Samaj Party and 8 (15 per cent) out of 52 candidates analysed from Aam Aadmi Party have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
Out of these, 17 (61 per cent) out of 28 candidates analysed from SP, 15 (52 per cent) out of 29 candidates analysed from RLD, 22 (39 per cent) out of 57 candidates analysed from BJP, 11 (19 per cent) out of 58 candidates analysed from INC, 16 (29 per cent) out of 56 candidates analysed from BSP and 5 (10 per cent) out of 52 candidates analysed from AAP have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
There are 12 candidates who have cases related to “crimes against women” and one of them has declared cases related to rape (IPC section 376). Six candidates have declared cases related to murder (IPC section 302) against themselves and 30 have declared cases related to attempt to murder (IPC section 307) against themselves.
The Supreme Court directions have had no effect on political parties in selection of candidates. The SC in its directions dated February 13, 2020 had specifically instructed political parties to give reasons for such selection and why other individuals without criminal antecedents could not be selected as candidates.
