New Delhi: Of the total candidates contesting in the 2019 Lok Sabha Phase I elections, 213 are facing criminal cases, while another 146 candidates have serious criminal cases against them. Worse still, 12 candidates have declared convicted cases against them.
This revelation was made by National Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), who jointly analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 1,266 out of 1,279 candidates contesting in the Lok Sabha Phase I. The affidavits of 13 candidates could not be analysed due to unavailability of their properly scanned and complete affidavits at the time of making this report.
According to the report, 10 candidates have declared cases related to murder (IPC Section 302) against themselves, while 25 candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder (IPC Section 307) against themselves.
Four candidates have declared cases related to kidnapping, kidnapping for ransom, etc. (IPC Section 364A), kidnapping or abducting in order to murder (IPC Section 364), kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage (IPC Section 366) and others against themselves.
Despite the efforts and awareness campaigns to do away with crime against women, 16 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women such as rape (IPC Section 376), assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty (IPC Section 354), husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty (IPC Section 498A) against themselves. In addition, 12 candidates have declared cases related to hate speech against them.
Among the major parties, 30 (36%) out of 83 such candidates from the BJP, 35 (42%) out of 83 candidates from the Congress party, 8 (25%) out of 32 candidates from the BSP, 13 (52%) out of 25 candidates from YSRCP, 4 (16%) out of 25 candidates from TDP and 5 (29%) out of 17 candidates from TRS have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Sixteen (19%) out of 83 candidates from BJP, 22 (27%) out of 83 candidates from Congress, 4 (13%) out of 32 candidates from BSP, 10 (40%) out of 25 candidates from YSRCP, 2 (8%) out of 25 candidates from TDP and 3 (18%) out of 17 candidates from TRS have declared serious criminal cases against them.
The report further states that 37 out of 91 Lok Sabha constituencies where polls will be held in Phase I are red alert constituencies. Red alert constituencies are those constituencies where 3 or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.