The elections for the fifth phase in Uttar Pradesh are scheduled to held on May 20.
In the run-up to the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Uttar Pradesh, the Uttar Pradesh Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has found that 20% of the candidates have criminal records while 37% of the candidates are crorepatis.
The ADR has conducted a comprehensive analysis of the affidavits submitted by all 144 candidates vying for seats in 14 constituencies. “The findings shed light on various facets of the candidates, including criminal records, financial assets, educational qualifications, and demographics,” Santosh Shukla, of UP Election Watch said.
Out of the 144 candidates, a concerning 29 individuals, constituting 20% of the pool, have declared criminal cases against themselves. Among these, 18% have been accused of serious criminal offenses. Delving into the party-wise breakdown, it is revealed that the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have the highest percentage of candidates with criminal cases against them, with 50% and 75%, respectively, followed by the Bahujan Samaj Party at 36%, Bharatiya Janata Party at 29%, and Apna Dal (Kameravadi) at 25%.
Ravidas Malhotra of the Samajwadi Party contesting from Lucknow tops the list with a staggering 18 criminal cases against him, trailed by Pradeep Jain Aditya of the Congress Party from Jhansi with 6 cases.
Among the candidates, a significant proportion are millionaires, with 37% of them being crorepati. The Bharatiya Janata Party leads in this aspect, with a whopping 93% of its candidates falling in this category, closely followed by the Samajwadi Party at 100%, the Congress at 100%, and the Bahujan Samaj Party at 71%.
The average asset per candidate stands at Rs 4.37 crore for this phase, with notable individuals such as Anurag Sharma from the Bharatiya Janata Party boasting assets worth approximately Rs 212 crore.
Educational Qualifications and Demographics:
In terms of educational qualifications, 62% of the candidates have declared graduation and above, while 31% fall in the 5th to 12th-grade bracket. Interestingly, a small percentage of candidates have declared their educational qualification as illiterate or literate.
Regarding age demographics, 44% of the candidates fall between the ages of 41 to 60 years, while 34% are aged between 25 to 40 years. Only a meager 9% of the candidates are women, indicating a continued gender disparity in political representation.
Sanjay Singh, Chief Organizer of UP Election Watch ADR, expressed concern over the prevalence of candidates with criminal records and the underrepresentation of women in the electoral process. He emphasized the need for increased scrutiny and efforts to promote gender inclusivity in politics.
The elections for the fifth phase in Uttar Pradesh are scheduled to held on May 20.