Around 27 per cent of the candidates contesting in the fourth phase of Assembly polls, slated for February 23, have criminal cases against them while 37 per cent are crorepatis.
Uttar Pradesh Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 621 candidates out of 624, who are in the fray in this phase. As per the ADR report released in Lucknow on Thursday, of the 621 candidates analyzed, 167 or 27 [er cent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. Among them, 129 or 21 per cent have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
Among the major parties, 31 or 53 per cent out of 58 candidates analysed from Congress, 30 or 53 per cent out of 57 candidates analysed from the SP, 26 or 44 per cent out of 59 candidates analysed from the BSP, 23 or 40 per cent out of 57 candidates analysed from the BJP and 11 or 24 per cent out of 45 candidates analysed from the Aam Aadmi Party have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Among the major parties, 22 or 38 per cent out of 58 candidates analysed from the Congress, 22 or 39 per cent out of 57 candidates analysed from the SP, 22 or 37 per cent out of 59 candidates analysed from the BSP, 17 or 30 per cent out of 57 candidates analysed from the BJP and 9 or 20 per cent out of 45 candidates analysed from the AAP have heinous criminal cases against them.Nine candidates have also declared cases related to crime against women.
Of 9 candidates, 2 candidates have declared cases related to rape (IPC Section-376). The ADR further claimed that out of the 621 candidates, 231 or 37 per cent are crorepatis. Among major parties, 50 or 88 per cent out of 57 candidates analysed from the BJP, 48 or 84 percent out of 57 candidates analysed from the SP, 44 or 75 per cent out of 59 candidates analysed from the BSP, 28 or 48 per cent out of 58 candidates analysed from the Congress and 16 or 36 per cent out of 45 candidates analysed from the AAP have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore. The average assets per candidate contesting in the fourth phase of UP elections is Rs 2.46 crore.
The report said among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 57 BJP candidates analysed is Rs. 7.57 crore, 57 SP candidates Rs 5.65 crore, 59 BSP candidates have average assets of Rs 4.71 crore, 58 Congress candidates have average assets of Rs 3.33 crore and 45 AAP candidates have average assets worth Rs 2.08 crore.
