210 candidates with criminal cases in fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls

According to the report, 404(44%) candidates have declared their educational qualification to be between 5th and 12th, while 454 (49%) candidates have declared having an educational qualification of graduate or above. 34 candidates have declared to be just literate and 9 candidates are illiterate.

Representational Picture (AFP)

New Delhi: A report on the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Wednesday claimed that 210 of the 928 (about 23%) candidates in the fray have criminal cases against their names. The ADR report also said that 306 (33%) candidates have assets worth more than Rs 1 crore. With total assets worth more than Rs 656 crores, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath’s son Nakul Nath, who is contesting from Chhindwara parliamentary constituency, is the richest candidate among those contesting in the fourth phase. According to the ADR report, the second richest is Sanjay Sushil Bhosale of the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi contesting from Mumbai South Central. Hos total assets are worth Rs 125 crore following BJP's Anurag Sharma assets worth Rs 124 crore. He is pitted from Jhansi. There are 3 candidates who have declared zero assets. They are fighting independently.

• Priyanka Ramrao Shirole - Nashik, Maharashtra
• Vitthal Natha Chavan - Thane, Maharashtra
• Prem Lata Banshiwal - Tonk Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan

There are 18 candidates who have declared their annual total income** to be more than Rs. 1 crore. The top three candidates are Priya Dutt of the Congress (Mumbai North Central). Vivek Krishna Tankha, Congress candidate contesting from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh and Baijayant Panda fighting from Kendrapara, Odisha on a BJP ticket. The report states 404(44%) candidates have declared their educational qualification to be between 5th and 12th, while 454 (49%) candidates have declared having an educational qualification of graduate or above. 34 candidates have declared to be just literate and 9 candidates are illiterate. Polling concluded for over half of the total Lok Sabha seats with the end of the third phase on Tuesday. The fourth phase of voting in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections will take place across 71 parliamentary constituencies in nine states on April 29. Polls will take place in some seats of Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Counting on votes will take place on 23 May. Key takeaways from the ADR report: Criminal Background

• Candidates with Criminal Cases: 210(23%) out of 928 candidates analysed have declared criminal cases against themselves.
• Candidates with Serious Criminal Cases: 158(17%) out of 928 candidates analysed have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
• Candidates with Declared Convicted Cases: 12 candidates have declared convicted cases against themselves.
• Candidates with cases related to Murder: 5 candidates have declared cases related to murder (IPC Section -302) against themselves.

Candidates with cases related to Attempt to Murder: 24 candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder (IPC Section 307) against themselves.

• Candidates with cases related to Kidnapping: 4 candidates have declared cases related to kidnapping such kidnapping for ransom, etc. (IPC Section-364A), kidnapping (IPC Section-363), Kidnapping or abducting with an intent secretly and wrongfully confine person (IPC Section-365) etc, against themselves.
• Candidates with cases related to Crime Against Women: 21  candidates have declared cases related to crime against women such as assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty (IPC Section-354), husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty (IPC Section-498A) etc.,  against themselves.
• Candidates with cases related to Hate Speech: 16 candidates have declared cases related to hate speech against themselves.
• Party wise Candidates with Criminal Cases: Among the major parties, 25(44%) out of 57 candidates from BJP, 18(32%) out of 57 candidates from INC, 11(20%) out of 54 candidates from BSP, 12(57%) out of 21 candidates analysed from SHS, and 60(17%) out of 345 independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.
• Party wise Candidates with Serious Criminal Cases: Among the major parties, 20(35%) out of 57 candidates from BJP, 9(16%) out of 57 candidates from INC, 10(19%) out of 54 candidates from BSP, 9(43%) out of 21 candidates analysed from SHS, and 45(13%) out of 345 independent candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
• Red Alert Constituencies*: 37 out of 71 constituencies are red alert constituencies. Red alert constituencies are those constituencies where 3 or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.

Financial Background

• Crorepati Candidates: There are 306(33%) candidates who have assets worth Rs. 1 crore and more.
• Party wise Crorepati Candidates: Among the major parties 50(88%) out of 57 candidates from INC, 50(88%) out of 57 candidates from BJP, 20(37%) out of 54 candidates from BSP, 13(62%) out of 21 candidates from SHS and 8(80%) out of 10 candidates from SP have declared assets worth more than Rs. 1 crore.
• Average assets: The average asset per candidate contesting in the Lok Sabha Phase 4 election is Rs. 4.53 crores.
• Party wise average assets: Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 57 BJP candidates is Rs. 13.63 crores, 57  INC candidates is Rs 29.03 crores, 54 BSP candidates have average assets of Rs 2.69 crores, and 21 SHS candidates have average assets of Rs 17.85 crores