Lucknow, Mar 5 (UNI) One-fourth of the candidates in the fray for the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-elections in Uttar Pradesh have criminal background and around 40 per cent are crorepatis.

However, a good thing witnessed in this bypolls was that most of the candidates are graduates or above while 78 per cent are youths and under the age of 50 years.

This was revealed by Association for Democratic Reforms(ADR) and Uttar Pradesh Election Watch here on Monday.

UP Election Watch chief coordinator Sanjay Singh, releasing the details, said of the total 32 candidates in the fray for both the LS bypolls, eight have given affidavit of criminal cases against them.

Independent candidate from Phulpur Atiq Ahmed has the highest number of 53 criminal cases against him, including that of eight of murder and same number for attempt to murder.