A total of 107 candidates who are in the fray for the second phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections to be held on February 15 have declared criminal cases against themselves. The race to the Assembly also has 256 crorepatis, a new report has said.
Of these 107 candidates, 84 have declared that serious criminal cases, including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women are pending before them.
Uttar Pradesh Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 719 of 721 candidates from 92 political parties, including 6 national parties, 6 state parties, 80 unrecognised parties and 206 independent candidates who are contesting in the second phase of polls.
"Out of 719 candidates analysed, 107 (15 per cent) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. 84 (12 per cent) candidates have declared serious criminal cases, including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women etc," ADR said in a report released today.
Party-wise, Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) has highest number of canditates with criminal cases.
16 out of 67 candidates from Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), 25 out of 67 candidates from BSP, 6 out of 52 candidates from Rashtriya Lok Dal(RLD), 21 out of 51 candidates from Samajwadi Party ( SP), 6 out of 18 candidates from Congress, and 13 out of 206 Independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits, says the report.
There are 15 constituencies in the second phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections having 3 or more candidates with declared criminal cases.
ADR said that out of 719 candidates, 256 are crorepatis adding that 58 from BSP, 50 from BJP, 45 from SP, 13 from INC, 15 from RLD and 36 independent candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.
The average asset per candidate contesting in the second phase of UP elections is Rs 2.01 crore.
Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 18 INC candidates is Rs 3.37 crore, 67 BJP candidates (Rs 4.07 crore), 67 BSP candidates (Rs 7.20 crore), 52 RLD candidates (Rs 1.51 crore), 51 SP candidates (Rs 3.43 crore) and 206 independent candidates (Rs 60.63 lakh), it said.
According to the report, a total of 174 candidates have not declared their PAN details.
On the education details of candidates, it said, 277 have declared their qualification to be between 5th and 12th, while 310 have declared having a qualification of graduate or above.
93 candidates have declared themselves to be just literates and 11 illiterate.
The report further said that 475 candidates have declared their age to be between 25 and 50 years, while 233 between 51 and 80 years.
In second phase of UP election this year, 69 female candidates are contesting.
