Politics and criminality in the border state go hand-in-hand. Nearly one-fifth of the candidates (21 per cent) have disclosed criminal cases against themselves, marking a troubling trend in the state's political fabric. Fourteen percent of the total 328 contesting candidates, that is 47, are facing “serious” criminal charges against them including murder, attempt to murder, criminal intimidation, violence, forgery, among others.

Out of total 328 candidates, 69 have declared criminal cases against themselves, including one having declared a case related to murder (IPC Section -302) against himself; besides six candidates declaring cases related to attempt to murder (IPC Section 307) against themselves.

Among these, Khalistani ideologue Amritpal Singh, who is contesting as independent candidate from panthic seat of Khadoor Sahib, is topping the list who is facing 12 different cases of 23 “serious” charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Amritpal, currently lodged at Assam’s Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act (NSA), is facing total of 12 cases with total 23 “serious” charges and 27 other charges — including seven charges related to punishment for criminal intimidation (Section-506); two related to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony (Section-153A); two related to harbouring offender (Section-212); two related to extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt (Section-386); one related to harbouring offender who has escaped from custody or whose apprehension has been ordered (Section-216); house-trespass in order to commit offence punishable with death (Section-449); attempt to murder (Section-307); voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty (Section-332); imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration (Section-153B); kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person (Section-365); rioting, armed with deadly weapon (Section-148); among many others.

A gangster-turned-activist Lakhvir Singh Lakha Sidhana, who is contesting from Bathinda as Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) (Simranjit Singh Mann) candidate, is facing a total of 15 cases against him, including 21 "serious" charges of attempt to murder (Section-307); punishment for criminal intimidation (Section-506); attempt to commit culpable homicide (Section-308); dacoity (Section-395); house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint (Section-452); attempt to commit robbery or dacoity when armed with deadly weapon (Section-398); cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property (Section 420); rioting, armed with deadly weapon; assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging duty, among others. Lakha Sidhana has been convicted in two cases related to Arms Act.

Other than Amritpal and Lakha Sidhana, four other candidates — Congress’ Jeetmohinder Singh Sidhu from Bathinda; SAD (Amritsar-Mann) candidate from Firozpur Gurcharan Singh Bhullar; Akhil Bhartiya Parivar Party’s Dharminder Singh Harman from Anandpur Sahib; and Independent candidate from Faridkot Kikkar Singh Dhaliwal are facing 'attempt to murder' charges.

Cabinet Minister and Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate from Amritsar, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, is the only candidate facing the charges of murder (Section-302), besides causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender (Section-201); criminal conspiracy (Section-120B); among others.

Total 69 candidates, that is 21 percent, have declared criminal cases against themselves, which is higher than the previous figure of 14 percent — 39 out of 278 contesting candidates — in 2019; nine percent — 23 out of 253 contesting candidates — in 2014, and eight percent — 18 out of 215 candidates — in 2009.

Among the parties, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is topping the list with its eight candidates emerging in the list, out of the total 13 it has fielded. Following it is the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) (Simranjit Singh Mann) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with seven and five candidates respectively, with three candidates each by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

If the data regarding candidate’s criminal background, collected and analyzed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)-National Election Watch, was not enough, the analysis of their educational qualifications indicated that more than half of the total 328 contesting candidates, who’ll be trying their luck in 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, have not even reached to the graduation level.

In all 184, that is 56 percent, out of total 328 candidates have education up to Class XII, which includes five “literate” and 23 “illiterate” candidates, 20 who have studied up to the primary level (Class V), 32 up to middle (Class VIII), while 73 of them have completed their matric (Class X), and 59 surpassed the senior secondary level (Class XII).

Among the rest, 46 are graduates, and another 23 are graduate professionals. Thirty-seven have done the post-graduate, while three of them have done their doctorate, and another six have done a diploma.

Besides, a total of 102 crorepatis, 31 percent of the total candidates, are in fray for the 13 parliamentary seats in June 1 polls. The number is seven percent higher than the 67 crorepatis out of 328 contesting candidates in 2019; and 56 out of 253 crorepati candidates in 2014 polls.

The average assets per candidate contesting from Punjab this time is Rs. 3.21 crores, against the average assets per candidate in 2019 parliamentary polls of Rs 5.06 crores and in 2014 Lok Sabha elections of Rs 4.48 crores.

Interestingly, all the contesting candidates of the three main political parties battling it out in the border state — the AAP (13 out of 13), SAD (13 out of 13), and the BJP (13 out of 13) — are in the crorepati group, followed by 12 out of 13 by the Congress.

The top three candidates with high assets are Bathinda’s sitting MP and SAD candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal with Rs 198 crore; followed by Patiala’s sitting MP and BJP candidate Preneet Kaur with Rs 60 crore; and Bholath MLA and Congress candidate from Sangrur Sukhpal Singh Khaira with Rs 50 crore of assets.