Out of the 301 candidates contesting the 2022 assembly elections in Goa, 77 (26%) have declared criminal cases against themselves - 11 percentage points higher than in the 2017 elections, when 15% (38 out of the 251 candidates) had criminal cases against them.

The number of candidates with serious criminal charges has also soared this year: 53 (18%) of the total 301 candidates as opposed to have 19 (8%) of the 251 candidates in 2017, according to Goa Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms’ (ADR; www.adrindia.org; myneta.info) report on the 2022 Goa assembly elections which was released in Panaji today by Prof Bhasker Assoldekar, ADR’s Goa coordinator.

Twelve candidates have declared cases related to crime against women, out of which one is embroiled in a case related to rape (IPC Section-376) while eight have attempt to murder cases (IPC Section-307) against them.

Red Alert Constituencies: Of the total 40 constituencies, 12 (30%) are Red Alert constituencies - Mandrem, Mormugao, Sanvordem, Porvorim, Valpoi, Calangute, Pernem and Siolim. Red alert constituencies are those where three or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.

Crorepati Candidates: More than half the candidates (187; 62%) are crorepatis with the average assets per candidate being Rs 6.48 crore. On top of highest assets list are the Lobos: Delilah Michael Lobo and Michael Vincent Lobo with Rs 92 crore each; the Monserrates (Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate and Jennifer Monserrate) occupy the fifth and sixth spots, with assets worth Rs 48 crore each.

Jaganath Gaonkar who is contesting from the Siolim seat on a Jai Maha Bharath Party ticket declared the lowest assets, at Rs 25,000.

“The role of money and muscle power is evident from the fact that all major political parties in Goa assembly elections 2022 have fielded 62% to 95% candidates who are crorepatis and 23% to 46% candidates who have declared criminal cases against themselves. This close and alarming nexus between money power and muscle power has got so ingrained in our electoral system that the citizens are left hostage to the current situation,” ADR’s report adds.

Education: 138 (46%) candidates have declared their educational qualifications to be between 5th and 12th standard, while 127 (42%) candidates are graduate or above; 34 (11%) are diploma holders and two candidates have declared themselves to be just literate.

“ADR’s analysis is based on the MLAs’ affidavits obtained from the Election Commission of India (ECI) website (www.eci.gov.in) (filed) with nomination papers. It may be recalled that in 2002, the Supreme Court made it mandatory for all candidates contesting elections to disclose criminal, financial and educational background prior to the polls by filing an affidavit with the Election Commission,” Prof Assoldekar told Moneycontrol.com.

Delhi-headquartered ADR was founded in 1999 by a group of professors from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad. The non-profit organisation concentrates on the country’s political system, and its ambit includes analysis of corruption and criminalisation in the political process; empowerment of the electorate through greater dissemination of information; need for greater accountability of political parties as well as need for inner-party democracy and transparency.