With the Gujarat elections round the corner, and the voters ready to vote for their preferred party and candidates; did they know this about them?
Twenty-one percent of the Congress candidates and 15% of the BJP nominees for the second phase of the Gujarat assembly polls have declared “serious criminal cases against themselves”, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Friday.
The Gujarat Election Watch and the ADR have analyzed the affidavits of 822 out of 851 candidates, who are contesting in the second phase of the assembly election slated for 14 December, the ADR said in a statement.
“Out of 822 candidates analyzed, 101 (12%) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. As many as 64 (8%) candidates have declared serious criminal cases, including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women, etc.,” the ADR claimed in the statement.
It further said that affidavits of the rest 29 candidates have “not been analyzed” as these were “either badly scanned or the complete affidavits were not available on the ECI website”.
“Among the major parties, 13 (15%) out of 86 candidates from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); 18 (21%) out of 88 candidates from the Indian National Congress (INC); 2 (3%) out of 74 candidates from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits,” it said.
“Three (11%) out of 27 candidates from NCP; one (14%) out of seven candidates from AAP, and 14 (4%) out of the 344 Independent candidates analyzed” has also declared “serious criminal cases against themselves” in their affidavits, it claimed.
There are 12 (13%) out of 93 constituencies in the second phase of the elections, where “three or more candidates” are in the fray who have declared criminal cases, the ADR said. “Two candidates have declared cases related to murder (Indian Penal Code section-302) while seven candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder (IPC-307),” it said.
The ADR also alleged that “two candidates have declared cases related to rape (IPC section 376) and two candidates have declared case related to assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty (IPC section 354)”. There are 66 candidates (8%) who have declared assets worth Rs5 crore and above in the affidavit, it said.
Out of the 822 candidates, 199 (24%) are crorepatis. Among the major parties 66 (77%) out of 86 candidates from BJP; 67 (76%) out of 88 candidates from the Congress; 10 (37%) out of 27 from the NCP; 5 (71%) of out of 7 from the AAP; 3 (4%) out of 74 candidates from the BSP and 31 (%) out of the 344 Independent candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs1 crore, the ADR report claimed.
The average assets per candidate for “BJP candidates is Rs7.80 crore; for INC candidates is Rs9.8 crore; for BSP candidates Rs21.35 lakh; for NCP worth Rs1.5 crore; for AAP Rs2.8 crore; and for the 344 Independent candidates, the average assets worth Rs85.35 lakh,” it said. Four candidates, all Independents have declared “zero assets” in their self-sworn affidavits, it added.
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