In a worrying revelation, a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch has mentioned an alarming number of criminal cases among candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections.
According to the report, as many as 21% of the 1,192 candidates who contested phase 2 of the Lok Sabha elections have had criminal cases filed against them.
The report further states that 167 (14%) of these candidates face serious criminal charges. A total of 32 candidates have reported cases in which they have been convicted. Three candidates have registered cases of murder (IPC Section -302) against them.
Data from the ADR analysis from Phase 1:
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch analyzed the self-affidavits of 1,618 candidates out of 1,625 candidates who participated in the April 19 Phase 1 elections.
Of the 1,618 candidates, 16% (252) face criminal cases and 10% (161) face serious charges. Seven have homicide charges and 19 have attempted murder charges.
.over, the report highlights that 42 of the 102 Lok Sabha seats slated for phase 1 are contested by three or more candidates facing criminal charges. In addition, 18 candidates have filed cases related to crimes against women, including one candidate accused of rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In another worrying finding, the report notes that 35 candidates have been linked to cases of hate speech.
The report also categorizes 41% of the seats that will be contested in phase 1 as 'red alert' constituencies, where three or more candidates have declared criminal cases in their affidavits.
The report further shows that criminal cases are pending among major parties against all four candidates of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), 13 (59 percent) of the 22 candidates of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), three (43 percent) of the candidates. of the seven candidates of the Samajwadi Party (SP), two (40 percent) of the five candidates of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), 28 (36 percent) of the 77 candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and 19 ( 34 percent) percent) of the 56 Congress candidates.
The figures are also worrying for other major parties, with 13 (36 percent) of the 36 candidates of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and 11 (13 percent) of the 86 candidates of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) facing with criminal charges.
(With input from agencies)
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Published: Apr 16, 2024 3:43 PM IST