Political parties are fielding candidates with criminal records this time too, if one goes by the documents submitted before the Election Commission in the past.
As the country is gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections, of the 203 candidates announced by various political parties, 34 have criminal records, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms.
Of the 203 candidates named till Sunday, 70 had contested Assembly or Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha elections in the past.
The Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch checked the affidavits submitted by these 70 candidates during previous elections.
Thirty-four candidates (49 percent) had 224 criminal cases against themselves, as per their previous election affidavits. Twenty of these candidates declared serious criminal cases against them – four had cases of murder or attempt to murder registered against them.
Twelve of the Shiv Sena’s 14 candidates, 13 of 32 BJP candidates, eight of 13 NCP candidates and one of six AIADMK candidates had criminal cases against them.
The Congress, which is yet to finalise its candidates, and the AAP, none of whose candidates have contested elections, don’t figure in the NGOs’ analysis.
Bhonsle Shrimant Chh. Udyanraje Pratapsin (NCP) had declared a charge of murder.
The Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil had declared charges of attempt to murder. Dhananjay Mahadik (NCP)had a charge related to culpable homicide against him.
The BJP’s Kirit Somaiya, from the Mumbai North East Constituency, had a charge of dacoity against him.
Three candidates, including the BJP’s Gopinath Munde, had declared cases related to kidnapping. Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire had declared a case related to wrongful confinement.
Out of 70 candidates, 36 candidates are crorepatis. Thirty-six candidates had declared total assets of more than `1 crore.
The average assets of 13 NCP candidates is `17.10 crore. Five SAD candidates had assets of `16.30 crore on an average.
The figure for 14 Sena candidates is `2.16 crore. On an average, 32 BJP candidates have assets worth `1.81 crore and six AIADMK candidates have assets worth `1.89 crore.
