Source: 
Jagran
https://english.jagran.com/india/gujarat-election-2022-21-per-cent-candidates-in-first-phase-have-criminal-charges-13-per-cent-face-serious-cases-10055271
Author: 
By JE News Desk
Date: 
24.11.2022
City: 

Out of the tota788 candidates for 89 seats, 167 are facing serious charges like rape and murder. AAP tops the list with 36 per cent of its candidates having criminal cases. The list is followed by Congress, with BJP placed at the third position.

Nearly 21 per cent of the candidates contesting in the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly election, have criminal cases against them, 13 per cent are facing serious charges, said a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Thursday.

This means that out of a total of 788 candidates for 89 seats, 167 are facing serious charges like rape and murder.

The Aam Adami Party (AAP), which is contesting 88 seats out of the total 89, tops this list among major political parties in the fray with 36 per cent of its candidates having criminal cases. 30 per cent of its candidate are facing serious charges such as murder, rape, assault, kidnapping, among others, the ADR said in its report. The number of candidates having criminal cases fielded by the AAP is 32.

AAP is followed by the Congress which has fielded 35 per cent of its candidates with criminal cases. Out of these 21 per cent are facing serious charges. The grand old party is contesting all 89 seats in the first phase and the number of candidates with criminal cases fielded by it is 31, the report said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which remains in the third position on the list, has fielded 14 candidates with criminal records. According to the percentage, such candidates account for 16 per cent of its total number and 12 per cent are facing serious charges, the ADR said in its report.

The Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP), which is contesting 14 seats in the first phase, has four candidates (29 per cent) with declared criminal cases. A total 7 per cent of its candidates have serious criminal cases this time.

In 2017, assembly elections, Congress, BJP and BTP had fielded 36, 25 and 67 per cent of candidates with criminal cases, respectively, in the first phase.

The ADR has also tagged 25 out of the total 89 constituencies in the first phase as “red alert” seats, or those where three or more candidates have declared criminal cases.

According to the Election Commission’s directions in compliance with the Supreme Court order dated September 25, 2018, it is mandatory for all political parties to upload on its website the information on pending criminal cases and reasons for the selection of such candidates.

The information is also required to be published in a local and a national daily and uploaded on official social media platforms.

© Association for Democratic Reforms
Privacy And Terms Of Use
Donation Payment Method