Chandigarh: Five per cent of the candidates in fray in the Haryana Assembly elections have serious criminal cases such as murder and crimes against women but overall the number of candidates facing criminal cases has come down from the last elections, according to a study by an activist group.
Analysing the self-sworn affidavits of 1,343 candidates out of 1,351 candidates who are contesting, the Haryana Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have concluded that of the total candidates, 94 (7 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves.
In the 2009 elections, the number was 109 (9 per cent) out of 1,186 candidates.
Candidates with serious criminal cases are 70 (5 per cent), the ADR says adding, the candidates had declared serious criminal cases including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, communal disharmony, crimes against women.
The number and percentage of candidates with criminal cases has decreased in 2014 from 86 (7 per cent) in the 2009 assembly elections.
Out of the 94 candidates who have declared pending criminal cases against themselves, 49 (52 per cent) have declared that the charges for these cases have already been framed by the court of law.
Eleven candidates have declared cases of attempt to murder.
Candidates with cases related to crimes against women are seven. Out of these, 5 candidates have declared cases related to husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty (IPC Section-498 A).
The party-wise candidates with criminal cases are 9 (10 per cent) out of 90 candidates from BJP, 4 (4 per cent) out of 90 candidates from Congress, 10 (11 eleven per cent) out of 88 candidates from INLD, 10 (15 per cent) out of 65 candidates fielded by Haryana Janhit Congress (BL), 6 (8 per cent) out of 75 candidates fielded by Haryana Lokhit Party and 41 (7 per cent) out of 597 Independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
Party-wise candidates with serious criminal cases are 6 (7 per cent) out of 90 candidates from BJP, 4 (4 per cent) out of 90 candidates from Congress, 6 (7 per cent) out of 88 candidates from INLD, 8 (12 per cent) out of 65 candidates fielded by Haryana Janhit Congress (BL), 3 (4 per cent) out of 75 candidates fielded by Haryana Lokhit Party and 31 (5 per cent) out of 597 Independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits, the ADR says.
